Capriones
by Kaeru Shisho
Summary: Xelloss is prince of the roaming Capriones who has captured a princess. Lina leads her comrades into a regional war. Tempers and emotions flare!
1. The Meeting

**Capriones 7/26/2006 10:25 /**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

At times, their warring spills over into the outside world when they capture slaves or take hostages. Only then do the state authorities enter their camps, usually with disappointing results. Although their numbers are dwindling, they continue to exist and fight against the co-mingling with 'outsiders'.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter One – The Meeting**

"I hate waiting for others," Lina declared. She had just reached the crossroads designated for their appointment, and no one was there. "I gotta do something."

"They're coming in one of their covered wagon things, but I don't see anything," Filia said. "We are on time and they aren't. I'm not surprised, the bone-idle layabouts."

Instructions were for the palace carriage to go no further than the end of paved road, leaving the three women no choice but to continue on foot the last two miles to the appointed destination. Lina figured her pretty, blond-haired comrade was tired as well as anxious. Lina elbowed the other young lady standing between Filia and her.

"Come on, Sylphiel. Let's go up that way further. Maybe we'll run into them along the way. Filia, you staying or coming?"

"Coming, of course! Just hold on; I'm tripping on my laces," Filia said more irritably now.

Sylphiel waited politely for Filia to toss her long blond mane to the side, tug it free from her headpiece, and give the shoelaces on her ankle-high boots another jerk, and then together they hauled the heavy trunk off the ground.

"Oh, and Miss Lina? They call those 'things' they ride in _'caravans_'," Sylphiel clarified.

Lina flung up an arm as if to say, "Who cares?", which was how she felt. She wanted to get this job for Prince Philionel over and done with so she could collect her reward and take a vacation while the weather was still good. She had never associated with the traveling Capriones folk, and although she didn't fear dealing with them, she knew better than to trust them. She had her own plans.

"Do you think any of them will be attractive young men?" Sylphiel asked with growing excitement.

"Unlikely," Filia huffed. "There will be nothing to tempt us there. I hear the boys there are wild and kinda dirty."

Lina stopped on the packed-dirt roadway and turned to her friends.

"Wild sounds good to me," she grinned. "I'm tired of the pretty palace set and the downtrodden poor; that is, as long as one of them is a prince."

"Prince?" Filia asked. "That's ridiculous! Cut as deep as you like, you won't find a drop of royal blood in a single one of those loathsome Capriones."

"Didn't you read that brochure Prince Philionel's representative gave you?" Sylphiel gasped.

"That boring thing? Hell, no," Lina answered for both of them.

"Leadership is passed maternally," Sylphiel went on. "Because, well, they always know who their mother is, I suppose. In the leading family, the mother is called the queen and the eldest son is their prince. I hear they can charm the fairies."

Lina looked back at her dreamy-eyed friend and said, "Uh, that's the elves, I think, Sylphiel. The folk tales are about Capriones stealing the elves' magic sword making secrets with charms."

"Immoral heathens all!" Filia said with a shake of her head. "It hardly matters how charming they're reputed to be; there's nothing they have or can do which can entice me. Anyway, we're trying to rescue a real princess."

"It shouldn't take long, should it Lina?" Sylphiel asked.

Lina waved her hand disinterestedly and sprinted past the intersection of the next road, putting a little distance between herself and her companions before they could press her for the details of her schemes. She knew everything Prince Philionel of Seyruun knew about the Capriones. They had captured Princess Amelia and were holding her for ransom. Phil wanted his daughter returned safely and had hired Lina to deliver the chest of gold in payment. It was not, however, Lina's plan to give the Capriones what they had demanded in trade for Amelia's safe return. Instead of a chest of gold delivered by three demure shrine maidens of the land, Lina had employed two resourceful, and well armed, shrine maidens, Sylphiel and Filia. The three women had banded together off and on over the past years, always led by the skilled bandit hunter and swordsperson, Lina Inverse.

Lina smiled thoughtfully. The prince was paying her well to get his daughter back, but what good would money be if she screwed this up and ended up trading one hostage for three? Well, that was what Lina was good for-- outsmarting the lunatics of the world.

"No one can get the better of me!" Lina shouted confidently.

"Lina, slow down!" Filia shouted. "I don't want to get all sweaty and look untidy in front of them."

"Oh!"

Both Filia and Sylphiel halted abruptly to stare, dropping both ends of the treasure chest. Dry dirt sailed up from the heavy trunk, settling on the hem of Filia's long skirt. Sylphiel's leggings were filthy to the knees.

"It's _them!_" Sylphiel's voice rose to a high-pitched squeal of delight.

A horse-drawn wagon covered with a brightly painted, wooden structure, akin to a house on wheels, appeared out of the dust cloud it was making. It came to a creaking halt a few paces from Lina's feet.

"Hey!" Lina shouted up at the driver, while pushing the horse's nose out of her face, and stepping to the side to get a better look at the wagon's occupants when they disembarked.

When the air cleared, the driver pulled the dust-scarf down over his chin, exposing a sun beaten face and a wide grin. "Good day to yer, missies."

"Yeah, hi," Lina replied. "Say, is anybody coming out or do I have ta go in after them?"

"Just waitin' for the dust to settle, missy. Won't be but another moment."

The wagon rocked slightly, and then the door at the back flew open with a crash, sending the mustard-colored, wooden shutters to clattering. Out hopped a young man of average height and slender build, cloaked head to toe in pale beige clothes. Lina couldn't make out much more. He appeared to be wearing a scarf and hood to conceal his face. She watched as he held out a gloved hand to assist a small, raven-haired girl out of the horse-drawn caravan.

"Well, he's a prince of manners," Lina muttered mostly to Filia, who was now at her side, "even if he's got something to hide."

"That's her with him," Sylphiel whispered loudly. "The prin..."

Lina and Filia both slammed hands over her mouth. "Shhhhhhhhh "

"Look at that man!" Filia gasped in a whisper. "Is he _tall _"

Indeed, the next young man stepping out from the caravan was more than six feet tall, well-muscled, and handsome with a long sweep of straw-blond hair. _With hair past his ass,_ Lina thought, and then gasped, blushing furiously as she realized where her mind had drifted and how close she had come to blurting it out. He smiled and waved shyly their way, and then moved to the side as another tall but lanky, young man emerged. This one was not smiling. He pushed a lock of long green hair from his eyes and glared at them.

"My, he's a dangerous looking one, isn't he? Wonder why he's angry at us already?" Sylphiel asked.

"I'm sure he'll be letting us know in no time." Lina continued to size up her opponents and prepare to make her move. "How many guys they got stuffed into that thing?" she muttered.

"Well, at least one more," Filia said, straining to get a look at him first and lowering her voice to a whisper. "I see another guy; at least I _think_ it's a 'he'."

"It's a man, Filia," Lina said, determining his sex from the width of his shoulders. "He's going around the other side to talk to the driver, I guess."

"There's _your_ prince, Lina," Sylphiel said with a nudge. "Look at the way he deports himself, so self-assured and how the others give him space."

"Eh, just a pretty-boy. That big blond dude looks like he could make mincemeat out of him," Lina said, smiling.

"Hmmm," Sylphiel agreed appreciatively.

"Let's go meet the negotiators," she said sounding self-assured. These men were well-armed and poised, not the coarse ruffians she had been expecting. If they were intelligent to boot, then this job would prove to be a greater challenge than she had wanted. Under her breath Lina added, "At least I hope they're willing to see it my way."

(O)

After helping Princess Amelia to the ground, Zelgadiss looked askance at her, wondering what she was thinking. He had strong doubts about his leader's plans, but more distressing to him was the growing attraction he had for the young princess. He wanted to keep her near, but shouldn't her safe return to her father override his wants and Xelloss' needs? Out of respect for her feelings, he bent toward her ear, all the time keeping his features concealed beneath his hood and masking scarf the entire time, and in a voice so low only she could hear said, "If you want to leave with them, I'll understand."

She brushed his hand with her fingertips, smiled, then whispered back, "No, I know what I want, and this may be my best chance to teach the Capriones about self-determination and our form of justice."

He nodded. It was a risky plan that Xelloss had masterminded, but if it succeeded, it would mean the start of a new life for the roving people, currently his people. Not to mention his freedom. Xelloss would certainly grant him his freedom, which could also bring about an all-out religious war, possibly a bloody one. Zelgadiss clenched his jaw. He was prepared for the worst and if it meant revolution, then he would see to it that the man who had cursed him would pay dearly. Nearby, he watched Gourry tuck a few sweaty strands of straw-blond hair behind an ear and smile at the girls.

The tall man leaned over and said to him, "They sure are the prettiest things I've seen in a long time. There's a blonde, a brunette, and a red head. See? One girlfriend for each of the rest of us."

"_If_ Xelloss wins here," Zelgadiss reminded him, ignoring Gourry's inference that he was attracted to the princess. "He's taking a big gamble."

"Oh, I'm not worried," Gourry said. "Because Xelloss always gets his way. No, from how I see it, the biggest problem might be sorting out which girl is for which guy."

Zelgadiss smiled and shrugged, secretly wishing that he could be so lucky as to see only that one problem. "So, I guess all there's left for you to do is to decide which one you like the best."

"Yeah, guess so!" Gourry chuckled.

After instructing the driver of the caravan to wait, Xelloss joined the other young men. To Gourry's left stood an insolent-looking Valgaav, darting his narrowed eyes from girl to girl. He wore a black scarf tied around his head to hold back his mint-green bangs from his eyes, but today, Xelloss noted, he allowed a few clumps to pour over, shielding his eyes from view. Even so, from Valgaav's pursed lips Xelloss guessed he was concerned by how this turn of events could interfere with his own ambitious plans– and Valgaav had big plans for himself. Valgaav shifted his eyes to stare defiantly into his own, raising his chin a little, Xelloss guessed the younger man's pride knew no bounds. Valgaav had the daring to court Zelas, their queen, in order to wrest control of the clan from him. Not that Xelloss felt Valgaav had a chance in hell of winning Zelas. It was a perilous scheme. The woman had her own ideas and they would necessarily take precedence. Valgaav, however, could make trouble for him by just trying.

But then, Zelas was opposed to Xelloss' own desire to change his people's way of life, forcing him to develop ever more circuitous plans of action. Xelloss eyed the trunk, assessing its contents. The gold contained in that chest and holding a princess of Seyruun as leverage would make a good start. Of course, in the end, both men's expectations involved risks.

Xelloss smiled and once again glanced at Valgaav to assess his mood. He was tempted to laugh aloud at the man's sullen expression, thinking how Valgaav must be regretting his decision to come along this day, since it might associate him with a plot doomed to failure. He was tempted-- it would be cruel to test the man's allegiance— but he hid a chuckle in a cough and fanned away a few stray dust particles instead.

So, Xelloss wondered, why had Valgaav agreed to come along? Probably the man was spreading himself strategically. He was mostly a problem for Xelloss because he added to his aggravations. Xelloss was afraid Valgaav would be equally bothersome after Zelas tossed him aside, like a big spoiled brat. Yes, it would be better for them all if Valgaav was on the winning side. If only he could find him a great crusade, a distraction . . . Xelloss traced Valgaav's glance, flickering repeatedly over the three "maidens."

"Lov-leeeee," Valgaav whispered under his breath.

Xelloss smiled with satisfaction as a solution to his problem formulated in his mind. Two of the well-armed young ladies were strangers to him, although one was wearing a Cepheid tribe headdress. She would do, maybe. He would make certain that Valgaav would not betray him or limit his success. He thought he recognized the tough little redhead, Lina Inverse, even though he had never met her before. He heard that Lina Inverse was no pushover and greedy, which implied that she wouldn't simply hand over her weight in gold. He pasted on a bemused smile while he considered what her ulterior motives might be, and how to verify her identity. Of course, this meant an alteration to his original plans to accommodate a girl of her talents– he was compelled by his own secrets as well.

"Hello, ladies," he said.

Xelloss' cape flapped around his legs so as he walked he appeared to float above the ground and he carried a long staff much like the common priest's, however in place of the usual crest denoting a particular shrine there shone a ruby-red, ornamental globe. The other men moved aside to allow him the privilege of being in front. He stood waiting for a greeting in return. Lina, hand on sword-hilt, marched two steps closer to the delicate, dark-haired man.

"Yeah, hi," she said. "Listen, it's hot and I'm pretty tired from carrying that thing."

Xelloss smiled widely as he watched Sylphiel and Filia exchange glances. He couldn't imagine that little girl standing defiantly before him had carried that weighty-looking chest of gold one inch of the journey from Seyruun. All together, she did act and sound as he had expected Lina Inverse to behave.

"So, let's get down to business," Lina continued. "Just hand over the princess, and then we'll talk."

Xelloss held back a laugh as Lina attempted to stare him down; at least he was nearly certain this was Lina. He had to admit that she had a lot of nerve.

"My, my, just like that?" Xelloss chuckled. He looked over his shoulder at Gourry and tapped at the trunk with his long staff. "I can't let you get away with stealing what is rightfully mine."

Gourry smiled as he pointed to the wooden strongbox at Lina's feet. "Yeah, how do we know _that_ chest has anything in it? Yours is pretty flat."

Lina's face flushed red and her hands rolled into hard spiteful fists. Where did that big oaf, as handsome as he looked, get off insulting her? She had found him attractive and was warming up to his smile, but, now, what a disappointment! She whipped out her sword and aimed it at Gourry's throat.

"Apologize, or die!"

Blades flashed, cutting the air in precise paths, as the tall blond man knocked her sword to the side and held her at swords point. The angry green-haired man beat back Filia's mace in one move, leaving the blade of his sword hovering inches from her neck. Shoving the princess safely behind him first, the secretive, hooded man drew his sword and thrust it at Sylphiel's chest. A word from their leader, who hadn't moved, and the girls would be shish-ka-bob. Lina considered casting a spell, when that least intimidating man of the bunch held out his free hand in a placating gesture of good will.

"Please forgive my indelicate, but good hearted, brother," Xelloss said, moving for the first time. He pushed Gourry's blade away with the end of his staff. "May I introduce myself? My name is Xelloss, the Mysterious Prince. You are Lina Inverse, right? I wasn't certain, at least not until we tested your temper."

End Capriones, Chapter One

5


	2. A Change of Plans

**_Capriones 7/26/2006 10:35 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

At times, their warring spills over into the outside world when they capture slaves or take hostages. Only then do the state authorities enter their camps, usually with disappointing results. Although their numbers are dwindling, they continue to exist and fight against the co-mingling with 'outsiders'.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Two – A Change of Plans**

Lina gritted her teeth and frowned to hold back any further caustic remarks. There was no hiding her identity now and it wouldn't do to get her friends killed right off. What's more, he showed no fear of her; in fact, he had the nerve to toy with her. She hated being underestimated. This had been a gamble, but it wasn't over yet and she could play a good game, too.

"That's right." The corners of her mouth curled into a cute smile, "Couldn't fool a smart guy like you, huh? Heh, heh…"

"Not so easily, at any rate. However, I requested three shrine maidens, and what did Prince Philionel send? Well, you may-- or may not-- be a maiden." Xelloss' smile widened as if he sensed Lina's self-consciousness, discomforting her more. "But you are certainly no priestess. And here I thought the Prince of Seyruun was all about Justice and following the rule of Law. Tsk, tsk. What a pity."

"B-but…"Amelia gasped.

Princess Amelia was about to come to her father's defense, when the hooded man tightened his grip on her hand, warning her to remain silent. All the while he kept his sword tip directed at Sylphiel.

"However," Xelloss continued, "my people practice a fairly reasonable kind of law."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother!"

"Your lack of respect will get you killed!" the angry young man growled at her, tossing his fall of stiff green hair out of his eyes. "Is the sword the only point you value in a parley?"

Xelloss raised a hand, a gold bracelet heavily ornamented with rubies glittering at his wrist, catching all Lina's attention. There was a matching clasp on his cloak and a jeweled belt decoration barely visible from beneath the folds of his tunic. The gesture also served to stifle further discussion from the other Capriones. He cleared his throat and motioned widely, inviting Lina to join them.

"Miss Lina, I'd like you to see for yourself how fair our justice system can be."

Lina felt a trickle of sweat run down her neck. This was not going the way she'd planned. The prince guy was cool as a clam and his sidekicks were skilled swordsmen.

"Heh, heh, well, maybe I do and maybe I don't, eh? How about you call off your goons there and I'll think about putting away my sword?"

Xelloss' smile left his face. "I am no fool, Miss Lina. I'll take your sword."

He moved like lightening, a flash of ruby-red crossed Lina's chest, and instantly Xelloss had her wrist in a viselike grip before she could rotate her sword to cut off his hand.

"Hey! Watch it!" she shouted. "You don't have to bruise the flesh, you know!"

"Gourry, get that one's mace and, Valgaav, take away the other one's sword," Xelloss ordered, using his staff to indicate which girl he meant and ignoring Lina's request, tightening his grip on her even more.

Lina's released her grip on her sword and it dropped heavily to the ground.

"Rather heavily armed for shrine maidens," Xelloss said, smiling at Sylphiel first, then Filia. "But I suppose that's one way to retain your purity."

He rested his staff on his chest a moment, freeing his hand. He reached out and fingered Filia's long hair. "Golden…"

"Get your dirty, stinking hands of me, you, you monster!" Filia snarled and batted him away.

Lina heard a gasp from the tallest man and watched his eyes go wide in alarm as he muttered a warning. "Um . . . Miss, better watch your mouth. He really is the Prince of the Capriones and is a lot more powerful than you think."

Zelgadiss bent forward and picked up Lina's sword without his eyes ever leaving Sylphiel. Everyone one else was watching what would transpire next, so Lina used the diversion to repeat the words of one of her most successful spells to date, and one she could perform without both hands free.

_This oughta surprise them_, she thought. Lina shouted aloud, "Fireball!"

But nothing happened, much. A small ball of energy glowed weakly as it left her one free outstretched hand, and then fizzled ineffectively as it popped out of existence.

_Why didn't that work? _Lina wondered. She hadn't heard anyone utter a counter spell. She twisted around in an attempt to free herself, when she heard Xelloss chuckle quietly.

"Miss Lina, open the coffer please," he said politely. "Let's all get a look at what a princess from Seyruun goes for these days."

He released her arm, but Lina didn't budge. She folded her arms over her chest and with all the conceit she could muster said, "Don't trust ole Phil? It's all there. I counted it myself."

Xelloss sighed. "This is getting tiring. All the posturing you are doing won't change a thing. Prince Philionel didn't trust you with the key, am I right? And if you opened it with magic, I would be able to tell. Zel, would you mind?"

Lina snorted and was ready to argue, but was distracted by the movements of the hooded man, whom Mr. Mysterious Prince Xelloss had just called Zel. First, he handed over Lina' sword to Xelloss. Lina spied long, thin fingers bearing ragged scars showed through the ends of his fingerless gloves. She shivered, wondering if he covered worse beneath his clothes. Zel jammed his own sword into its leather scabbard at his side and pulled out a set of fine metal lock-picks from beneath his cloak. With deft, sure movements, he had the chest unlocked and open in seconds.

Lina decided that Zel would be a handy guy to get to know. Her eyes caught Amelia's momentarily as Xelloss moved to keep himself between the two girls. Lina gave her a wink for support, and then the sparkle of gold drew her attention downward.

Zel began counting the gold bullion while kneeling by the open strongbox. Valgaav and Gourry were still holding the girls at sword's point. Xelloss, while retaining both his and Lina's swords, appeared unconcerned.

"It's all there," Zel announced as stood up, and then kicked the lid shut.

"Like I said," Lina muttered.

No use expending any more energy on a lost cause, she decided. Best to just cut her losses and git. She turned to look Xelloss in the eye and explain.

"So, the way it goes is: you hand over the princess and take the gold and we call it a done deal, all right?"

Zel, the hooded one, took up his position at Amelia's side, re-drew his sword and pointed it at Lina. "There's been a change of plans."

His hood slipped back a few inches and Lina caught sight of his frosty glare over his face mask—only one blue-green eye was visible from where she stood, like an egg under a tuft of silvery, gray grass. _Could that be his hair_? Lina wondered. She covered her shock well, though; she didn't even blink.

"What kind of change?"

She wasn't expecting the abductors to be so capable no was she expecting any of them to be a sorcerer powerful enough to counter her spells. By now she had hoped to be halfway back to the Seyruun capital with the princess, her friends, and even the gold chest wrested from the men she had planned to have knocked out cold. And now _this_ odd character had an agenda?

The slender man with the gaudy jewelry, whose dark hair shone with purple highlights as the sun continued to bare down upon them, the man these Capriones called their prince, replied, "It's getting warm and I, for one, would like a drink. Why don't you ladies accompany us to our encampment?"

Filia snapped first. "What? With you? That would be improper if not downright nauseating."

"And that's not what you said you'd do!" Sylphiel pointed out.

"Well, Sylph," Filia said. "I told you that they were dirty and wild. Just make that dirty, wild, lying, and conniving practitioners of skullduggery."

"With swords," Lina muttered hoping to silence her friends with a fiery red glare. "And, currently, the upper hand."

Xelloss cleared his throat and stared unblinking at Filia. "You think I'm deceitful? Let me point out that Prince Philionel sent you with Miss Inverse, which can only mean one thing. He wasn't planning to give in to our demands from the start. Lina," he paused and bowed slightly to her, "is not known for her evenhanded practices. If she could have, I'm certain she would have slit all our throats for the gold when she had the opportunity. A good thing we were prepared for such duplicity."

"Yeah, isn't it," Lina said sulkily. Why bother refuting the truth?

"Besides, you can trust me," Xelloss spread his arms in supplication, Lina's sword in one hand and his staff in the other. "Right? I've never done you any harm."

That was true. He had a point. The Capriones had given Lina a wide berth over the years.

"But what about those guys?" Lina pointed vaguely toward Gourry and Valgaav, while her eyes remained fixed on her dangling sword.

"Aw, we wouldn't really hurt ya," Gourry smiled vacantly. "I think you'll like the visit. Nice place."

_Okay, that one was a hunk and a sweetie pie_, _if a dullard, _Lina decided and aloud said, "If you say so." She also returned Gourry's smile, then dead-eyed Valgaav with, "But _you_'d just as soon kill us and take the money, wouldn't cha?"

Valgaav grinned lecherously. "Right after I had some fun--"

With a quick gesture, Xelloss stopped him mid-sentence.

"I don't want to go off with three strange men to some…some…camp!" Sylphiel cried.

"Strange men? Oh my, we haven't all been properly introduced!" Xelloss said with surprise. "I'll start. Me you know; just call me Xelloss. This is my brother, Gourry Gabriev and my other brother, Valgaav Agares. And here is my brother of sorts and comrade, Zelgadiss Graywords. Princess Amelia, well, I'm sure you know who she is."

"'Sort of brothers,' indeed!" Filia huffed. "You look totally unrelated to one another."

Xelloss sighed dramatically. "Yes, well, like an adopted brother then. Satisfied, Miss…?"

Lina looked them over before starting the introductions. "This is Filia, a priestess of Cepheid and that's Sylphiel, a priestess of the White Shrine of Sairaag."

"A survivor?" Zelgadiss gasped.

Sylphiel turned to him. "Both my parents were killed by . . . in the . . . explosion of . . ."

"Cardinal Rezo and his Red Guard in one of his 'cleansing' campaigns," Zel growled. "A madman in a long line of them."

"However, we're getting off onto tangents," Xelloss said. "As you can tell, the Capriones are no friends to the ministry, as I see you are not either, since you practice sorcery. Please accept my invitation."

"Tell me, if we take you up on your _invitation_, what's in it for me? Why should I make this easy for you?"

"Well, you could start a fight here and someone could get hurt. I have your sword so it would be four highly skilled swordsmen against two priestesses and you. You and your friends would lose; I'd still have the hostage, the gold, and the upper hand."

He had the decency not look too smug or to mention her failed use of magic, Lina thought.

"In any case, I'm still thirsty and hot and there are no refreshments here, and if we go to Seyruun, then I lose my control over the situation."

He winked at Lina before giving her a little bow and waving her toward the caravan. "Understand?"

"An overwhelming thirst," Lina said with a little smirk. "So, you have three hostages…"

"_Four_, counting the princess," Xelloss corrected her.

"_Three_, and me. I'm going willingly. I'm no captive here."

"I see," Xelloss smiled and straightened his back. "I'm glad that's all settled. So, shall we go? Ladies first."

The ride to the Capriones' encampment was completed while the sun was at its zenith. They sat four to a side, boys facing girls, on hard, wooden benches that ran the length of the caravan. Bumping over the uneven road caused the riders to jostle uncomfortably into one another's shoulders and legs. More than once Filia complained about the "apparent lack of washing facilities," as she sniffed the "'ripe" air of densely packed bodies in the warm, airless, covered wagons.

"Just open the windows!" Lina shouted.

"No!" Valgaav slapped Filia's hands away. "It will fill with dust then. Just shut yer yap up and sit still."

"Pleasant fellow," she grumbled, rubbing her smarting hand.

"Aw, don't be too hard on the poor lad," Xelloss grinned. He leaned over, rested his head on Valgaav's shoulder, and looked through a tangle of mint-green hair to gaze up at Valgaav's frowning face. "He's trying hard, and he has to put up with soooooo much."

_If looks could kill,_ Lina thought to herself,_ then Prince Xelloss would be fried under that scorching glare. __There's no love lost between those two._ Lina tore her eyes away from Valgaav's tortured expression, muttering beneath her breath, "What a head case," as she bent forward and looked toward Amelia seated furthest away from her.

"So, Princess, how're they treating ya? You okay and everything?"

"Oh, yes. I'm really well taken care of. Thank you for asking. Um, are you the real Lina Inverse, infamous bandit hunter and dragon killer?" Amelia asked with the exuberance of youth.

"Yep, that's me," Lina said. She placed a hand to the side of her mouth, shielding some of the sound from the men across from her, and whispered conspiratorially, "I'll getcha outta this, you'll see."

She said this with more confidence than she currently felt, though. Her eyes traveled up and over to Sylphiel, who was sitting bravely, eyes lowered, and doing everything she could not to let them see her shaking hands. Sylphiel, who wouldn't harm a soul, who didn't draw first, had always been Lina's steadfast friend. Sylphiel had trusted her on this errand, and now she was in trouble because of it. Lina would not let her down. No, not her or Amelia either. Lina would fight to the death to protect her after Sylphiel had saved her life in the past.

Then there was Filia. She had hired Lina on advisement from Lina's frightening sister for a dangerous inside job. They hit it off so well that they often called upon one another for other jobs until one day they discovered that they had become great friends. Right! Lina owed it to Miss Filia as well, to see to it that she got out of this unscathed.

Lina sank back into her lumpy, upholstered seat. She had to close her eyes to escape those frosty blue stares from the stranger called, Zel, the accusing slant-eyed glares from Valgaav, and even to avoid Gourry kindly glances. Only Xelloss' were not observing her, possibly. She noticed he had the affectation of averting his eyes, covering them with his bangs, losing them in a smile, or keeping them downcast in order to mask them. _What secrets was he hiding?_ Lina wondered.

"What's to become of us?" Sylphiel whispered with a long tremulous sigh, no longer able to hold in her apprehension.

"They'll turn us into slaves," Filia snapped. "You had no plans to free Princess Amelia, did you?" She kicked at Xelloss' foot to get his attention.

"What? Oh, free her? Well, actually, I plan to, just not right away."

"Oh? And why's that?" Lina asked.

"I'm sorry, but that's a secret." He smiled and pushed her head back with a forefinger to her forehead.

"Oh, yeah? Well, what is it you have in mind for us, then?" Lina prodded his knee with her own finger.

"Well, I can't really tell you that yet. It would spoil the whole thing."

Lina hated him, well, not him exactly, but his teasing manner. "It wouldn't spoil it for me."

"I warn you!" Filia started up, fearlessly jamming her finger in his face. "If you or one of your goons touches me, I'll kill you…or them! I mean it."

"Oh dear gods," Lina moaned and covered her face with her hands. She could see how this would play out.

"Is that so?" Xelloss sat forward and raised his head.

This time Lina saw his eyes, narrow, purple, and dark, and for a split-second, wholly unnatural, and then he reached out and tapped Filia on the arm.

"Touched you!" he chortled.

Filia's face darkened as she struck out with both hands flailing. Lina, on one side of Filia, grabbed the arm nearest her and Sylphiel on the other side snatched Filia's other arm before she could land a punch to his nose. She could feel Filia shaking with pent up fury. Lina understood how aggravating he was, but she thought Filia was over-reacting.

"Hold on! We're still his guests," Lina hissed at her friends, and then turned to face Xelloss. "And you," she practically growled, "be sure to treat us like guests and we'll behave like guests. But try anything, and the gloves come off."

Xelloss looked at Lina's white, fur-trimmed gloves and then to his own blue-toned ones. "I think it's the other way around."

"Huh?"

"First, I take off my gloves, _then_ I try something, don't you think?" His smile widened as hers diminished.

The blood rushed to her face, and without further warning she slapped Xelloss' face with a loud smack. "Why, you pervert!"

While he sat there astonished by her flash of anger and quick temper, Valgaav grabbed both her tiny wrists in one hand and growled, "You need a lesson in manners, little girl."

"Oh my," Xelloss gasped, but did nothing to stop Lina from landing a few kicks to Valgaav's gut with her feet.

There was a little scuffle before Zelgadiss produced a rope from under his cape and tied Lina's legs together. It took Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel to calm everyone down and reassert rationality and respectability to the group. The ride was quiet for the rest of the journey: bound like that, Lina was as good as gagged by her anger and embarrassment.

End Chapter Two.


	3. Guests of the Prince

**_Capriones 7/27/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Three –Guests of a Prince**

When strains of music being played outdoors, strange folksy music, dancing music, were discernable, then they knew they had entered another culture. Sylphiel and Filia huddled unconsciously closer to Lina, whose own heart was beating faster with anticipation. Capriones. She'd rarely even run into a clan member and had never seen one of their camps. In fact, she'd avoided them up to this point. Now she was curious and a little frightened, not that she'd let on, though.

Sensing the rise in tension, Xelloss announced, "We're almost here. Zel, untie Miss Lina's legs, will you? When we get out, just follow me. Stay close; say nothing. No one can touch you while you are under my protection, understand? And smile, you're just coming by my invitation for refreshments, okay?"

Lina shivered at the touch of Zelgadiss' slender fingers on her ankles. The digits were scarred horribly. She wondered what his story was, and then noticing that Xelloss was awaiting her answer, nodded.

"Got it. Guests of the prince. For how long?" Lina's crimson eyes met his purple ones.

"For _now_," he said, illusively.

When the girls exited the wagon, their eyes were met with a riot of colors, spinning patterns, and textures from stiff, ruffled skirts to fragile-looking shawls as fine as spider webs– all totally unlike the elegant, but passive, pastels preferred by the City-state of Seyruun. Scattered about were tents and more caravans parked in confused disorder. The music rose and fell, carried by the wind from where it originated somewhere beyond their line of sight. Lina recognized the wail of violins, a drum, a flute, and guitar or harp, and wanted to go in search of the players.

"This way," Xelloss said as he led the group to the right.

Lina tore her attention away from the tunes and fell in behind the two taller men. She admired the blond swordsman, Gourry, as he effortlessly carried Sylphiel's sword, her sword, and Filia's mace in one large hand. Could she ever use a big guy like him to cover her back and carry her loot!

They encountered stray, scruffy-looking dogs and kids who gawked at the sight of strangers, then ran and hid. Filia held her skirts up off her ankles to avoid getting dust on the delicate pink edging. "Dirt everywhere. Disgusting!"

Xelloss paused and turned her way. "I agree. It's even worse when the rain turns this to mud. We try to migrate south before the fall is over and the rains are frequent, but--" he waved his hand absently.

"Why don't you build houses and pave roads and live like civilized people the world over?" Filia asked sharply, but he did not reply.

Xelloss was involved with other matters. Two young women, one on each arm, were greeting him warmly.

"Harlots," Filia hissed under her breath to Sylphiel.

Sylphiel nodded slightly, although even the older women seemed to dress in similarly low-cut bodices and flirty skirts. "I think it's just their traditional costume. The brochure said the married women wear scarves to cover their hair, but the unmarried ones don't."

When a trio of young boys ran past, bumping into Filia and Lina in their rush to get on with their game, Filia snapped, "Bare feet! Can't they afford shoes?"

Xelloss, who had shrugged off the two clingy women, simply replied, "No."

Amelia tried to explain quickly. "They are very poor people--" but was stopped by the young man at her side.

"Shh, not now," Zelgadiss shook his head in warning then slowed his gait to a stop in front of a faded blue-and-red-striped tent, the opening tied back to reveal a wide, worn carpet. He held back with Amelia while Xelloss entered, followed by Valgaav. Gourry motioned the three new captives to follow his leader inside.

Behind a low, wood table sat an attractive woman, fair-haired and shapely and supported by a multitude of colorful pillows and cushions.

"Mistress," Xelloss murmured as he bowed his head. Valgaav and Gourry dropped to one knee a moment, then rose. Zelgadiss and Amelia waited outside.

"My dear, introduce me to these lovely young ladies, would you?" the beautiful woman asked.

"Okay," Xelloss smiled. Gesturing toward Lina first, he began, "This is Miss Lina Inverse, the famous bandit hunter and dragon killer. Lina, Mistress Zelas Metallium."

Lina wasn't sure what was expected of her, but since she believed she was as good as or better than anyone else, including a prince or princess, she strode confidently up to the table and held out a hand. "Guess this is a first for me. Hi."

Zelas took Lina's hand and pressed it lightly a moment before freeing it. "Indeed. How charming, dear."

Xelloss chuckled softly at both Lina's brashness and his mother's reaction to it, and then introduced the other two young women, who chose simply to curtsy.

"Be seated. I'll have refreshments brought in." Zelas swept the room with a gesture indicating that they choose one of the floor cushions. She spoke over her shoulder to a young man, the only other occupant of the tent, who turned and left, passing by Xelloss with a bowed head.

"What about the princess and that other guy out there, ah . . . Zel?" Lina asked. "What's so funny?"

Xelloss raised his eyebrows, surprised by her sudden focus on him. It didn't stop him from broadening his smile, though. "Oh, my . . . well, I suppose that you think it was rude of me not to invite Zelgadiss and Miss Amelia inside, however, it doesn't seem to occur to you how bad-mannered you are to point it out."

The heat rose to Lina's cheeks, painting them a shade of pink to match her tunic. "Nevertheless," Xelloss continued cheerfully, while parting the tent opening with a long staff that magically appeared in his hand. "Zelgadiss, Miss Amelia, come in and make yourselves comfortable."

(O)

"As much as possible," Zel murmured in so low a voice that only Lina heard him as he moved behind her.

Zelas made small talk until the food arrived, mostly questioning Lina concerning her latest accomplishments. Lina was loath to reveal the extent and possible worth of her ill-gotten gains, but was pleased to have an audience to share her boastful tales.

"It was a good thing that I perfected my Fireball spell that day, because it saved me and my band here from the Cardinal's 'cleansers' after they had flushed us from their cloister. We managed to get the bombs in place, you see, and the charges set, when one beady-eyed creep with a glowing, red jewel on his forehead spotted us."

"Cleansers? I'm not familiar with that term. Do you mean the Red Guard?" Zelas asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Vurumagen," Zel said softly. "Did you kill him?"

"I don't know. I doubt it, though. I set off the bombs with the spell, you see, and ran the hell out of there. I didn't stick around to count the bodies, but the place was flattened."

"You are a brave young lady to use magic openly. You risk exposure to the Cardinal's spies," Zelas said.

"Let them spy," Lina gestured broadly.

"Lina Inverse, Sorceress Supreme," Zelas whispered. In a louder voice she continued, "I admire your attitude. Perhaps Caprione blood runs in your veins."

"Nah., I'm just an enemy of those trying to prevent the use of magic."

"If you are interested in learning more," and Zelas knew from the look of intensity in Lina's eyes that she was, "I recommend you arrange training time with Xelloss. He is quite skillful."

Lina had heard that many of the Capriones were adept at more than creating simple charms and fortune-telling, but her information had been limited to second hand. Today, however, she had had her magic blocked and noticed Xelloss' slight of hand tricks with his staff, but she hadn't seen him cast any real magic. She looked askance at Xelloss, the Prince of the Capriones, who smiled pleasantly in return. He didn't appear to be strong at all, more slender and bookish. She would have guessed him to be a priest under Cardinal Rezo, or a traveling poet. Although, if he was a sorcerer hiding his magical talents, what better way than under the guise of a carefree, non-threatening persona?

"I'm not planning on sticking around long enough for lessons," Lina replied. "But thanks for the offer anyway."

Further conversation was silenced when the food and drink were served. Lina recognized the dish as a stew of vegetables and a meat of some animal, but didn't ask what kind. It was spicy enough to make her cough, so she downed the cool, milky drink between bites. Wedges of flat bread worked just fine for wiping the bowl clean. She knew Filia would not touch the stew, since she avoided eating meats of any kind, and so, she noticed when a special dish was place before the Cepheid priestess and then another one just like it set before Valgaav.

"What's that?"

"It's the same stew you have, but made without the meat. It has beans, instead, right Val?" Xelloss asked.

Valgaav nodded without lifting his head. Lina thought he acted like a man about to unleash a great deal of pent up aggression, and waited for him to crack, but he didn't. He ate in silence, with deliberate movements, showing refinement he hadn't revealed in the caravan. If he had two personalities, this must be the one he put on in front of Zelas, Lina decided.

Zelas ate lightly, and as soon as the meal was snuffed up by the hungry youths, she returned to her earlier subject. "Cardinal Rezo and his anti-magic ministry have grown to be a problem which we must put the kibosh on. To that effect, I shall strengthen the Capriones by uniting forces with Seyruun's royal house."

Murmurs circulated the room as everyone wondered what the woman could mean by that. Lina didn't expect her to explain her plans in front of her hostages, and so, was surprised that she said more.

"From there, we can take down and destroy Rezo and his ministry."

"But joining ranks with the royals? A bit extreme, if not impossible," Lina said.

"Mother doesn't know impossible," Xelloss piped up. "However, I wonder how you plan to achieve your . . . lofty goal."

"I will use you, my dear. You are a prince, and who better to marry the sitting Princess Amelia of Seyruun, than you, Prince Xelloss of the Capriones?"

Zelgadiss bounded up, knocking his chair over. "The hell you will," he growled, his right hand reaching for his sword.

"Restrain your slave!" Zelas shouted at Xelloss.

But Xelloss was using all his self-control to restrain himself!

Gourry had risen with Zelgadiss, gripped the smaller man's sword arm firmly, halting his attack, and then used the upper limit of his strength to push Zel to a kneeling position, his expression apologetic.

"Slave? Did she just call that guy Xelloss' 'slave'?" Sylphiel gasped to Filia. "Lina? Did you hear what she said?"

"I thought Xelloss claimed they were brothers. Lying, cheating, swine–" Filia snarled. "You don't deserve to eat in the same room as a princess, you faux-prince!"

Lina cut her friends off with a gesture. "Eh, right, well I think there's more to all this than we see or know, and I'm determined to find out what it is."

She would have said more, but the drama in the room was continuing to play out. Xelloss had lost his complacent composure. In order not to scream and outright defy his mother, he drew his breath and hissed through his clenched teeth, "Excuse me."

Xelloss turned on his heel and without another word, exited the tent. Gourry pushed the much aggrieved Zelgadiss after him, but remained in the entranceway, waiting.

"Whoa, that's about as hot-headed as I've ever seen our prince," Valgaav pointed out in mock concern.

Amelia, meanwhile, had jumped upon the table and was shaking her fist in Zelas' face. "Absolutely not! Under no conditions would my daddy ever agree to such A.. ah . . . an unrighteous arrangement!"

With a nod to her servants, Zelas stepped away and allowed them to escort the guests and the princess away to assigned tents. Lina shook off any attempts to 'manhandle' her and bent over to adjust a bootstrap that didn't need adjusting, making her guard wait in discomfort.

"That went well," Zelas snickered.

Valgaav, who had remained behind, moved close to Zelas' side, lowering his head to speak in her ear. "Pure genius."

Zelas patted his cheek. "Thank you, Valgaav," she said, simply, and then she also left the tent.

"What a suck up," Lina muttered just loud enough that she knew Valgaav could hear her, and then she exited the tent, the servant rushing to keep up with her.

"What did you just say?" Valgaav snarled and reached out, grabbing Lina by the shoulder and spinning her around.

"You want me to repeat that louder?" Lina stared him down defiantly, and then swept his hands away. "You all just live up to your nasty reputations. You know that?"

His golden eyes flashed dangerously, and then narrowed. "Whaddya mean?"

"Capriones. At one time or another, you all have been accused of being sorcerers, child kidnappers, murderers, cannibals, and worse . . . lazy, ignorant, and worthless . . . animals, pagans, and heathens. I ignored most of what was said, thinking most anything claimed by the White Shrine with Cardinal Rezo in charge was bunk propaganda, looking for a scapegoat to blame his misfortunes on. But so far, you are a tribute to his words . . . kidnappers, sorcerers, ignorant, and cruel. A walking advertisement for 'bad seed.' Not that all that is all bad, mind you."

Valgaav looked around to see who was within hearing distance first, then said, "Come 'ere and I'll tell you something."

He led her to a tent not far from where she had seen her friends disappear. "Sit down and I'll fill you in."

"Okay, spill it." Lina watched him pace before settling on a pile of cushions beside her. "You're not a Caprione, are you?"

"Am _now_," he snapped, and then he relaxed a bit. "I was born a prince into the Ancient clan of Cepheid, least my mother was. Her father was the tribe's leader and she was to inherit the position. My father was Caprione, married to Zelas at the time. I don't know what happened, how my father met my mom and I was created, but my mother and I were not ostracized for it, I know that. I was about to come of age and become the leader, when Zelas found out about me. Zelas had my mother captured and executed along with the other tribe leaders.

"Except you," Lina put in.

"Except me, yeah. I was 'adopted' recently."

"Why are you confiding in me, Valgaav? I'm no friend of yours."

"Because now that I've seen ya, I know you're _the one_. Xelloss' special one. Oh yeah, by the way he looks at you and treats you with . . . cir-cum-spec-shun."

Lina's eyes met his, burning holes straight through; she was an incendiary agent, short-tempered, and close to spontaneously exploding. "That's . . . ridiculous! I've never seen Xelloss before; he's never seen me. He had no idea I was involved in the exchange for the princess. You are wrong. That is **bunk**!"

Valgaav leaned backed against a sturdy wood upright and looked suggestively her way. "It would work for me. He'd lose his position, get kicked out of the tribe, maybe the entire clan, for sleeping with an outsider, then I'd have more maneuvering room. And that's something, 'cause up into now I figured he was more interested in the _boys _than the girls, if you get my drift."

"You are an insult to the Ancient Clan," Lina spat with a disgusted expression, "and to the Capriones. I won't listen to any more of your insinuations and I won't be a part of your poisonous plans. I'm outta here."

Valgaav stretched, standing to block her exit. "When I marry Zelas and rule this tribe, you may feel differently."

That shook Lina.

He smiled, and dismissed the servant waiting outside the tent. "I'll take you to your tent now."

(O)

The first thing Lina did when she was reunited with Sylphiel and Filia was to give Filia an assignment. "You have to talk to Valgaav. Convince him to join with your people to fight Rezo."

"Dear gods, no, Lina. Why _him_?" she asked with a faint shudder. "Why me? Why do I have to get stuck with the spiteful-looking hooligan?"

"You are Cepheid clan and he's the last of the Ancient Clan, which is related to yours," Lina began.

"Ancient? Is that so? They were into boats, shipping, old-fashioned nautical types. We are more of a splinter group, one of several, modernizing while keeping with traditions..."

"Yeah, related, like I said," Lina cut in. "But they were peaceful and got wiped out completely, except for him. This guy says he was about to be his tribe's leader before Zelas exterminated them," Lina explained.

"Zelas? He thinks she destroyed the Ancients? I understood that it was a Golden clan that attacked them by Rezo's orders."

"Well, that's something to tell him, don't you think? The question is, why did she save him in particular? What is the last of the Ancient Cepheid tribe, and a prince at that, doing in a Caprione settlement posing as a brother to the clan's prince?"

"He was part of the Ancients' royal house, too, he says? You're right; I need to talk to him."

"Okay and I want to speak to that tall, blond swordsman," Lina said.

"Gourry," Sylphiel supplied. "His name is Gourry. I don't blame you. He's yummy. I'll go with you, Lina. But do you think that will be all right? We were told to 'stay put'."

Lina smirked, "Oh yeah? No one told me that. Anyway, when did I ever listen to orders, huh? Come on, girls; let's do some information-gathering."

End Capriones, Chapter Three.


	4. Natural Attractions

**_Capriones 7/27/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Four – Natural Attractions**

Lina, Sylphiel, and Filia found Valgaav reclining comfortably in the tent where Lina and he had had their talk. Sure, he'd listen to what the beautiful blond woman priestess had to say. His natural attraction to Filia evident from the shine in his eyes, despite his otherwise cocksure expression.

He pointed out to Lina where she could find Gourry, adding, "But don't go wandering around. Ain't safe."

"**_I_** ain't safe, bud," Lina said with a saucy flip of her head, and then sauntered away confidently with Sylphiel at her side.

"Lina," the young, dark-haired priestess chided her. "I wish you wouldn't taunt dangerous men like that. We don't have our swords, remember?"

"Oh, yeah . . . well . . . That's another thing I need to see about." Lina stood in front of a large tent looking for a polite way to announce her arrival. "This had better be the right place. Val's directions stunk." She shrugged and raised her voice. "Hey, Gourry! You in there? I wanna talk to you. Oh, hi!"

"Lina . . . and . . . Sylphiel, right? Ah . . . sure come in."

Zelgadiss and Amelia were inside as well. The young man marked with scars was still seething after Zelas' announcement. He was pacing the floor, muttering to the princess about how he was determined to find a way to stop her marriage to Xelloss. When he saw Lina enter, he launched his attack on her.

"Lina Inverse, I need to talk to you," Zelgadiss said.

"She came to see me," Gourry said as a gentle reminder.

"I see. Well, I'll leave, but," the scared faced young man paused uncertainly. He caught Lina's eyes a moment to ensure she understood his urgency, then turned back to Gourry. "When you're done, I'd like to speak with her, please."

"Ah, sure, if she wants to."

Zelgadiss' attention returned to Lina, eyes boring into hers. Lina felt uncomfortable under the fierce surveillance of Zelgadiss. His striking appearance triggered her curiosity, but she didn't want to gawk at him, while his intensity fired her passionate nature to learn what was on his mind.

"That's fine with me," Lina replied. "Amelia? Don't worry; I'll getcha out of this mess."

"Thanks, Miss Lina, but I don't know now. Everything was going to be okay . . . we had a plan . . . but now . . . I just can't marry Prince Xelloss! I can't! I'm in love with . . . with . . . someone else."

The way her expression softened as she glanced up at the scarred young man told the rest of the story– she was in love with Zelgadiss.

His jaw was clenched, clearly holding back poisonous words and unwilling to openly recognize her affection for him or reveal how he felt. "Later, then," he said curtly, and with that, he guided Amelia to the cloth doorway.

Lina waited until both Zel and Amelia left before turning back to Gourry. "That Xelloss! Surely he knows his brother or friend, or whatever relationship Zelgadiss is to him, has some kind of an attachment for the princess. How can he let his mother dictate who he will or will not marry like that!"

Gourry shook his head. "Oh, well, you see, Xelloss isn't a bad guy. You saw him; he was bowled over in there, as much as any of us-- more probably. Yep, a complete surprise to him-- to us all. I oughta go talk to him, but he wants to be alone awhile to work things out in his head."

"Yeah, poor guy's gotta marry a princess," Lina said. "And, in case you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic."

"You were? Well, it is a tough thing for him. You see, he's . . . " Gourry searched for the words to say what he meant. "Never been interested much in getting married, which is the most important thing he's gotta do, in his position, and soon."

Lina nodded. "Yeah, Valgaav told me something to that effect. He hinted that Xelloss isn't interested in girls at all."

"Marriage is serious and shouldn't be pushed on anyone who isn't ready, at least, that is how I feel," Sylphiel added.

"That sounds real wise," he agreed, presenting Sylphiel his kindest smile yet. He faced Lina, running a hand through his tousled bangs. "Valgaav, well, he's gotta right to his own opinions, but I've known Xelloss a long time. We grew up together. Okay, he's not interested in any of the girls around here, but I wouldn't say he doesn't care _at all_. I know he's been wanting to meet someone special." Gourry looked askance over Lina's head at the closed doorway, hoping that he hadn't said too much.

"So, why doesn't he just tell his mommy that he's a big boy and can choose his own unfortunate marriage partner?"

Lina decided that Xelloss sounded like a supreme wimp and a mommy's boy. She also was disappointed in Gourry. He was a hunk of eye candy to be sure, but he was a mite slow in the thinking department.

Gourry shook his head. "Not really a good idea. I don't think he can turn down her orders, well . . . that he can, but not really . . . "

"You mean not without serious consequences, right?" Lina put in to hurry the conversation along.

"Yeah, marriages are all arranged by the parents. We are expected to marry and have children so that the family and clan grow."

"That may be so, but Princess Amelia is so young!" Sylphiel cried out.

"For the Capriones, marriage can begin at a pretty early age," Gourry said.

He smiled slightly and caught her eyes, hanging onto them until she blinked.

"How young?" Sylphiel asked, her green eyes wide and shining.

"Oh, I dunno . . . " He scratched his head while he thought about the youngest girl he knew of and then there was him and Xelloss, who had to be the oldest guys. " 'Bout 12 for both girls and boys. And 'cause it's forbidden between blood relatives, we're always looking for pretty girls from elsewhere." Gourry looked at the two very attractive girls in his tent and blushed. "But, ah, an outsider wife's gotta become clan, and, um . . . ah . . . none of the girls of the Capriones can marry a man from outside. It's not very fair that way, I guess."

"No, it's not," Lina agreed and decided to let his other inferences pass. She was uninterested in whatever plans Xelloss might have for her, or for any of them for that matter. "Amelia's father will be mad. I don't think he'll accept any kind of wedding outside of the White Shrine, particularly a forced one."

"I bet it will make for more trouble and not unite our people at all!" Sylphiel agreed.

Gourry looked mournful. "I hope not."

"Rezo's the real enemy to free people," she added.

"Yep, especially to magic users, like you." He quickly glanced from one girl to the other from under his long bangs, including both girls in his assumption.

There was no use denying that they both were beginning sorcerers, although in the presence of one of Rezo's 'chosen' crusaders, the 'cleansers,' or officially his Red Guard, it would mark either Sylphiel or Lina for execution.

"He surprised me today, Xelloss did. He usually does what his mother says, no questions, at least in front of the rest of us, but he nearly told her off," Gourry said, his face troubled.

"Hey, if you know something important, spill it!" Lina demanded.

"I know Xel's got his own plan to get us to join more with the locals. He wants the kids to so to school and rest of us to sell the stuff we make to outsiders. Zelas wants things to stay the same, as they have always been."

"Yeah, and I bet you wouldn't know any of the details, right?"

Gourry shook his head and brushed the hair from his eyes with a disarming smile. "That's right, not me. I'm no planner, that's for sure. Too much to keep up here." He pointed to his head and chuckled. Gourry grew more serious as he noticed that Lina wasn't amused, and said in a low voice, "If you would work with him, I think you could help Xelloss change the Capriones' world."

"Sure, starting with getting Zelas to pick him a different wife," Lina grumbled. "My interest here is to free Princess Amelia. That's it." She rose, signaling Sylphiel to stand too. "Okay, so I guess I'll go see what Zelgadiss has to say next. Ah, by the way, what happened to the guy? Do you know?"

Gourry drew a deep breath before answering. "I don't think he'd mind me telling ya this much." He began carefully choosing his words. "He said his grandfather did it to him. An experiment or spell gone wrong or something. Not my expertise– magic stuff. He don't like to talk about it, but he's hoping to find a cure for the scars. He's got something else on his mind too. I dunno what. He talked more to Xelloss than to me about all that."

Lina grunted. "And that has something to do with his status, too? Zelas called him a slave."

"Yeah, but Xelloss calls him his brother so that's how I think of him. Zelas hates him, that's for sure, though, I don't know why."

Lina found it hard not to like the big guy with the sunny disposition, handsome face, and the compassionate heart. He was simply lovable, and Lina could tell that Sylphiel thought so, too. Had he been a bit quicker on the draw she might have considered him boyfriend material. Of course, now wasn't the time for romance . . .

"So, you still want to see Zel? I'll entertain Sylphiel while you're gone."

"I'll be fine here," Sylphiel assured her.

Gourry and Sylphiel exchanged looks; it seemed both were encouraging her to visit Zelgadiss alone. If she wasn't imagining things, her friend and comrade in arms was blushing coyly. Clearly she wasn't the only one with romance on the mind.

"Okay, I'll go," Lina said. "Which tent's his?"

Gourry directed her to Zel's tent, and then turned to Sylphiel. Mustering all his presence of mind, he asked her cordially, "Want some tea?"

End Capriones, Chapter Four.


	5. Strange Arrangements

**_Capriones 7/28/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Five – Strange Arrangements**

Lina approached the nearby tent and again wondered whether to scratch on the canvas or just shout, when the flap door snapped back and a partially concealed face poked out.

"Come in, quickly."

"Yeah, sure," Lina grumbled, but stepped inside. She gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the low light. "You like it pretty dark, huh . . . ah . . . Zel?"

"Not particularly. I thought you'd prefer not to have to look at me," he said daringly. He was challenging her to say differently.

"I'd rather see who I was talking to," she replied honestly.

From her brief scan of the room's interior she was able to discern many magical items of questionable application, and that Amelia wasn't present. She watched as Zelgadiss untied a couple lashes and two flaps opened high above, allowing a minuscule amount of light to stream in.

"All right?"

"Yeah, thanks. What kind of magic user are you? I don't recognize all this stuff."

He strode over to block her view, frowning. "You always examine people's private rooms?"

Lina smiled gamely. "When I can."

He chuckled lightly and stepped over a pile of worn pillows. "I guess I would too, coming to a strange place like this." He sank on a trunk across from her. "You can sit, if you'd like. I'm a shaman, only slightly less acceptable in society than a sorcerer."

"Oh," Lina nodded, sinking onto a pillow. "Well, that's interesting."

She knew that at one time, every village had their own shaman to interpret the weather, set things right with the evil spirits, and cure minor ailments. As the White Shrine grew in importance and its influence spread, the priestly sect grew too. There would be no room for both to exist, and so the beloved shamans were pushed to the edge of society to live as hermits in remote locales about the countryside. Passing on their traditions was outlawed. The time of the shaman's influence was fading fast.

"You're pretty young for a shaman."

Lina looked past his scars and met his guarded eyes. They were beautiful. A deep, blue-green color and large and intelligent and troubled. In spite of his earlier insistence for her attention, he now appeared suddenly unable to speak.

"You had something to share with me?" she urged him.

A blink and the eyes became hooded. "Yes. Yes. . ." He sighed and looked away a moment. "I am going to trust you."

The silence was drawn out; the tension palpable. Slowly, those eyes, now cold and accusing, met Lina's fiery red ones.

"What I'm going to tell you could put Amelia, the princess, in grave danger." He paused to test Lina's reaction.

"Okay . . . "

"I have kept my true identity a secret from everyone but Xelloss."

Lina waited impatiently, thinking he had better divulge his secret before she would be reduced to pounding it out of him, when he sank closer to her, kneeling at her feet. She jumped back in surprise at his intensity.

"I am searching for something," he said, voice held low, "a magical thing that I think you have. It appears to be a trifle, but it is not and I am willing to trade for it."

Lina fumbled, figuratively, through her mind's catalogue of bandit loot. Some gems, jewelry, a fragment of . . . something, and a tiny statuette. Many trifles. Worth little, but then Zelgadiss didn't look to be well off. What he did have that she might want in trade?

"I will help you free Amelia," he began the bargaining.

Lina shrugged. "That's great, but I need to make a living."

She wanted to know just how valuable an item it was that they were dealing with. She suggested that he pay her an unimaginably high sum for what she was certain was worthless trash.

His face clouded over with shock, then disappointment, then anger. "That's ridiculous! No one can get their hands on money like that!"

Lina shrugged carelessly and the young man crumpled in despair, murmuring, "You don't understand . . . "

"Try me," she insisted.

Zelgadiss drew a long steady breath, and let it out. "I'm in love with Princess Amelia," he explained. "I want her free and returned home."

Lina was relieved that the man the princess seemed infatuated with had the decency to admit his feelings, if only to gain Lina's trust. "And this thing I have will help you?"

"It is a thing of power which Xelloss can use to our advantage, among other things."

"Xelloss, huh? And he's aware of your plan to free the princess? It doesn't make much sense considering that he could have traded for the gold and let us take her back already. Instead, he's the one that has, in effect, entrapped her."

"There is more. When you showed up, plans altered accordingly. He needs you. What you can do, more precisely."

"So I've been told by both Valgaav _and_ Gourry. Geez, you'd think Xelloss would be man enough to talk to me himself. Anyway, so you want something, a magical thing, I take it."

"It is imperative that we keep this . . . item . . . out of the hands of–of . . . " Zel's voice cracked.

"The self-seated Minister and Priest of Justice, Cardinal Rezo," Lina offered, while Zelgadiss appeared lost in a dream, eyes glazing over a moment as if he was he was reliving a horror in his not-so-distant past, which he was.

His eyes cleared, sharpening once again to brilliant blue-green, and snapped back to meet hers. "He is my grandfather. He . . . did this . . . scarred me. He is a sorcerer. He wants to be the most powerful one, the _only_ one, and to control everything."

"GRANDFATHER!" Lina swallowed back the rest of her stifled cry and cleared her throat which had suddenly tensed. "So Rezo's trying to eliminate all other magic users, leaving--"

"--just him. That's right. And the item I believe you have, unwittingly, could boost his power, enabling him to surpass anyone else."

"Why?" Lina asked.

"Why _what_? Why does Rezo want to control the world? I can't guess a madman's motives."

Lina sat up and leaned forward. She put a hand on his tunic-covered arm and repeated her question. "Why did he do this to you?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking the flow of tears, then in control, he said, "To make me stronger. He excused every horrible, onerous action of his. But he was using me as he always had. When I was just a little kid, he'd drag me around to villages; I'd be limping due to some incantation he'd applied to my legs. He'd be the great healer and demonstrate that belief in the White Shrine ways would heal all. He'd whisper a spell, do some slight-of-hand, pretend to call on the White Shrine gods, and I'd be cured; I could walk again. What a fraud!" His voice trailed off and he shook his head so as to release the bad memory.

His words triggered recollections of Lina's, though. When she was just a child, five or so, the great Red Priest visited her birth town of Zephillia. The small town was a famous a wine-making community, which offered gifts of wine in gratitude for his services. Yes, she could picture his whole show. She thought it was magic at the time.

"Oh, no, dear," her mother had assured her. "He's the greatest healer of all time. Your sister is leaving us to receive training. Luna is to become one of his cherished Cepheid Knights to carry out his cause. Casting spells is evil. You heard what he said!"

Rezo had worn a crimson cape, quite eye-catching, and by the tall man's side had been a small boy about her age. Lina could recall him in perfect detail still. At the time, she had been mesmerized by the pretty child with dark hair and beautiful blue-green eyes, and the magic. She had recognized that he was using magic, regardless of what anyone else believed, and wanted to learn it herself. Funny, Rezo had set her on the path opposite to what he preached by that visit.

But it was the boy's eyes that she was thinking of now, when she realized in shock that she was looking directly into that little boy's eyes right at that moment.

"_OH! _That was you? I saw you when you were really young. You were so beautiful. Oh, gods, I'm sorry." Lina stuck her fist in her mouth to stop herself from saying more.

Zel waved her to silence, then spoke, clearing his throat intermittently as it tightened with emotion. "I learned shamanism on the sly to counteract what he was doing. Sometimes I disrupted his acts. He became more determined to control me and applied stronger spells until one day . . . He told me not to cry. He promised to make me stronger and then . . . my skin hardened and scars appeared, my hair stiffened and went nearly white, and my ears, well you can see for yourself I'm a freak. But he could not undo the damage this time. I knew he was afraid that people would wonder what had happened to me, possibly think I'd been cursed, which of course I had. So, he took me away. We traveled to a distant land, where he acquired an amulet said to boost his power. I don't know from whom or how, but before he could use it to cure me, we were beset by bandits– thieves in the night. Rezo and his guards killed them all, or so they thought, but it turned out that one got away with the charm."

"And you think I took it off some bandit in turn?" Lina asked.

"Yes," Zel folded his arms across his chest. "Rezo directed me to form a search party and find the charm. I was at it for a month or two, when my men were ambushed and was I captured by Xelloss and the Capriones. Xelloss knew whom he had captured, and I understood him in a roundabout way. Although Xelloss was thinking of using me for ransom, I'm sure things changed when he discovered the depth of my hatred for my kin. So, I bartered my allegiance in trade for my men's release and, well, here I am, in essence, a slave to Xelloss– but a willing one."

"He must trust you, too. He called you 'brother'." Lina wondered if Zelas was aware of his kinship to Rezo and if that was why she hated the young man. "Does Zelas know who you are?"

"Yes. She wanted me tortured then executed, but Xelloss convinced her I was of more use alive and saved me. I owe him my life, and that of my men whom he freed."

Lina could see the pain cross his expressive face, despite the scarring, and wondered if their mutual friendship would survive in the event of Xelloss' marriage to the woman Zelgadiss loved.

"Why do you think, no... why are you so certain I have it?"

"Xelloss sensed something when he was holding you, er, your arm, disarming you. A magic masking spell, but not one of your creation. He thought it was curious enough to mention when we were getting into the caravan for the ride back. I know what I'm looking for and although I don't have his... aptitude for detection, I know the item I want is cloaked in such a manner."

Lina liked this man of strong loyalties and honor, feeling a kinship with him in some way. He had his pride but he could live with his weaknesses, or work around them and not let them cripple his abilities. For that reason, she reached under her cloak into a hidden recess and pulled out a small assortment of items.

"Well? Anything look promising?"

"No," he said without a moment's hesitation. "Have you any others?"

Yes she did. She withdrew scads of interesting objects for his perusal, at least she thought so, but none received a second glance. On the third try, Zel's eyes lit upon a plain black statuette.

"That could contain it," he said.

"How . . . ?" Lina started to ask, but with lightening speed he knocked it from her grasp and dashed it upon the hard-packed dirt floor.

"Hey! You'll break it, you idiot!"

It hit hard and the outer case shattered, revealing at its heart a shiny black stone with a drilled hole at the top.

"Oh!" Lina gasped as Zel lunged for it.

They fought and claimed ownership alternatively with such vengeance that they nearly came to blows, when they were interrupted. A minor, but firm blast of a wind spell threw them apart and to the ground.

"What on earth are you doing?" Xelloss hissed at Zelgadiss. "You want to alert the entire camp that there is a treasure worth fighting for in here!"

Zelgadiss bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I lost my head."

Xelloss smiled. Swinging pendulum-like from his hand was the stone on a fine silver chain. "You lost your prize."

"That's mine!" Lina jumped to her feet. "How did you get that? And where did the chain come from?"

"Magic," he smiled continually. "Now, let's talk about how we are going to use this to our advantage."

Zelgadiss, Lina, and Xelloss looked at one another suspiciously. Lina heaved a sigh, breaking eye contact first. She had no better option but to cooperate under the circumstances.

"Okay, I like Zel here and trust him, and more importantly, I understand his motives," she said.

"And not mine?" Xelloss asked with a knowing smile.

"I trust that you _have_ motives which might lead you to promote a cause I'm interested in," Lina said, cautiously. "So, if you'd elaborate on what makes you tick, I'm all ears."

"Well, that's a secret. You want me to trust you with my secrets?" he asked.

"That would be nice."

"And you'll be happy to reveal all yours in exchange?"

Her eyes flew wide in surprise, and then narrowed as anger brewed just below the surface.

"I see," he said with a knowing smile that irked her further. "Well, then, how about we call a truce and put our differences aside for the time being. If we put our heads together for a serious planning session, we'll have the best chance of success."

Lina couldn't fault his logic. As strange as the arrangement was, it provided Lina with new opportunities. Zelgadiss could make a great addition to her team of outlawed magic users. Xelloss had demonstrated knowledge of magic beyond hers; she could learn from him, possibly. If she simply escaped with Filia and Sylphiel, then she'd have nothing to show for her time. To get paid, she had to return Princess Amelia to her father. And besides, Xelloss had the magical stone.

They agreed one hundred percent that first on the agenda was to send messengers back to Prince Phil, asking him for more time. Xelloss explained what was going to happen in the next few days.

"Zelas will command me to offer Prince Philionel a 'bride price' to compensate Amelia's family for her loss, which will most likely involve the return of that trunk of his own money."

"Which we won't actually do, right?" Lina asked for clarification purposes.

"Right. I'll think of something else. Also included is the marriage offering in writing sealed with a bottle of wine wrapped in a necklace of coins and beads and a silk handkerchief. If the necklace is returned, then the marriage is agreed upon. When the princess is wed, she will wear the necklace, and it will be clear that she is no longer available to other young men. I figure to send him a few bottles of our clan's brandy. In one of these bottles, I will hide a note explaining what _we_ are attempting to do, in brief, and a request for the return of the necklace to close the deal."

"I'd like to write that note," Zel began.

"No, I'd better do it," Lina broke in. "He knows me and might believe a subplot if I'm behind it."

"Makes sense," Zel agreed. "Did you know Amelia is wearing the royal seal on that bracelet on hers?"

"No, but an impression from that to seal this note of ours would go a long way to proving she's a part of our plan," Lina said.

"Or being used," Xelloss pointed out. "I think what you have to say will be the most influential. Make it short and--"

"Perfect. Got it. Leave it to me." Lina smiled confidently. "What next?"

"Magic training, what else?" Xelloss smiled to match her own.

"Oh, yeah . . . my sword, and my friends' weapons, too. We want them back."

"I'd like to know how do you plan to use the power amulet, now that you have that which is mine?" Zelgadiss asked.

"That, my friend, is a secret, for now!" Xelloss told him. "But I daresay it will see use in battle, and it had better be used by our side. So, Miss Lina, the sun will be setting soon, time to return you to your accommodations for the night."

He leaned closer, opening his eyes, assuring Lina's undivided attention. "Need I remind you that you must remain in your tent all night until someone comes to get you in the morning?"

"No, not that I'd want to go wandering around anyway," Lina grumbled.

What Lina wanted now was to get back and find out what her comrades had learned from the other Caprione men. She would abide by his rules tonight, but after that, there was no telling what she might do. Or when.

End Capriones, Chapter Five


	6. Spells and Frippery

**Capriones 8/1/2006 **

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Six -- Spells and Frippery**

It wasn't difficult for Gourry to remain behind with the pretty Miss Sylphiel. He admired her reed-like figure and shiny black hair, which was as long as his when it wasn't tied back in a sleek braid. She was quiet and demure, although he knew she was doughty underneath; he had seen her wield a sword. They had been talking about their friends, sharing information, when Sylphiel asked about Zelgadiss' condition.

"You say he was cursed?" Her eyes grew troubled, imagining his suffering. "How truly terrible for him! Has no one tried to cure him?"

"Sure, but none of our healers can undo a spell like that. Xelloss and his mom aren't healers, but they're our best magic users."

Sylphiel placed her hand on his sleeve, drawing his eyes down to meet hers. "I'm a white magic healer and so is the Princess Amelia. Maybe if we worked together, we could create an undo spell for him."

"Oh yeah? I guess I should ask Xelloss about that, for his okay first, ya know?"

"Yes, please, do that. I'd like to help if I can," Sylphiel said.

She smiled and he couldn't help but smile in reply. She had the gift of making every good outcome seem possible and offered comfort where it was needed. Gourry felt that when she listened to him, it was as if he was the most interesting person she had met and was at the center of her entire attention. It was quite a talent. And very flattering, he thought with a ripple of appreciation– and sudden warning. It was a powerful art and a dangerous one. A man could lose his heart, if he wasn't careful. And she was so pretty, pretty enough for him to ignore the warning signs and lower his guard.

"Ah, sun's about to set. We ought to get going if you're to get back to your tent when Xelloss wants. Tomorrow, he wants me to help train you. I don't do the magic part, but I can show you some sword tricks. Valgaav and Zelgadiss will cover the magic."

They came to an arch of late blooming, wild, white roses, the scent heavy in the still warm air, and as she moved closer to him to pass through he found himself smiling down at her. Perhaps she read the appreciation in his eyes, because she blinked and looked down, then smiled a little and began to walk away. The grace in her step showed her satisfaction, sending a warmth spreading outward from his racing heart.

(O)

Later that evening Lina was back in a tent with her friends, Sylphiel and Filia, explaining that they would be staying in the Caprione camp a while longer.

"Of course we have to see this preposterous wedding through to its unnatural end and free the princess," Filia said. "But I have to tell you: don't put too much hope on my convincing that unpleasant Valgaav ne'er-do-well to help me. He's as likely to knife me in the back as help my people against anyone, even Rezo."

"You don't like him, do you?" Sylphiel asked. "You'll let something like that keep you from your duty?"

Filia tried to cover up a faint blush reddening her cheeks. "I didn't say that. I don't like that hedonistic Xelloss rascal either."

"So you'll keep at it," Sylphiel pressed, hearing Lina growling from behind.

Filia nodded.

"Good!" Lina said. "And I don't get your problem with Xelloss. He hasn't been lewd around me. He's got a weird sense of humor, though."

"His people have lured away our young innocents for hundreds of years, and he's their leader, next to that monster of a mother he has. They are disgusting, dirty, lawless . . . and strange. Take that freaky-looking Zel guy--"

"Zelgadiss was enchanted by his grandfather, who happens to be Rezo!" Lina told them about what she'd learned about Zelgadiss.

"What!" Filia gasped.

"Gourry told me he'd been cursed, but not that his grandfather was Rezo or responsible," said Sylphiel. "Oh, that's just so sad, tragic really."

"Nonsense!" Filia said with a snort. "Rezo is awful and must be ousted, but he was a healer. Why would he turn his own flesh and blood into a freak like that? It's a lie, I'd say, to squelch our suspicions and garner our sympathy."

Filia didn't have point out to Lina that that was exactly what she thought the Capriones had accomplished, she simply let the words sink in.

"Filia, Zel's story fits with what I know about him and how he was used shamelessly by Rezo as a child. Of course, Rezo wouldn't want the world to know he'd cursed his own grandson or, worse yet, was unable to fix him, so he took Zel far away, searching for a magical stone to make him more powerful."

Lina's eyes hardened. "Rezo got a powerful, magical charm called the Philosopher's stone, then lost it, and was still using Zel to get it back when the Capriones captured Zel. I know the Capriones are rather wild, but they aren't out there murdering innocents, burning villages, or razing cities where the people disagree with their beliefs or practice some form of magic. That's Rezo and his Red Guard. The more I travel, the more I hear about him and the more I see him to be the central figure in all the problems of the world."

"I wonder what happened to that magic talisman," Sylphiel wondered aloud.

Not wanting to admit that she had had it and lost it, Lina said irritably, "Xelloss has it, but keep that top secret, okay? Now, be quiet so I can concentrate on this letter to Phil." Lina dug though her bag for her writing tools. "Xelloss wants to have riders deliver it this evening, or in the morning at latest."

The letter was written after several attempts, and it was Zelgadiss who arrived to collect it. Lina slapped it into his hand, expecting him to comment on the contents. She didn't have long to wait. On his way to the door, Zelgadiss hesitated at the door of Lina's tent.

"What else?" Lina asked. "Don't you dare rewrite it!"

"I wouldn't do that," he bit off; hurt that she should think he would. "What I wanted to ask was... Would you mind if Amelia stayed here with you? It would be crowded, I know, but I think she could use the company."

"Isn't Zelas afraid we'll try to escape with her?" Lina asked.

"I'm not asking her. I'm asking you."

Lina felt his resentment flare. Once again she couldn't help but admire his courage and compassion. She gave him a nod and waved him off with her hand.

"Yeah, sure. Bring her over, but bring some bedding with her. We're short of that as it is."

"Fine, I will. Thank you. Don't wait up. I'll have to wait until late to move her."

Zelgadiss shot Lina a small, rare smile, and left to seal the note with Amelia's personal stamp.

(O)

"I told Amelia I'd be back to escort her to her new lodgings in another hour," Zelgadiss told Xelloss as he handed over the sealed letter. "They all ought to be asleep by then."

"Good. I hope this gains us some level of trust. Lina must know by now that her magic is sealed in her tent and without that I don't think she'll try anything. Still, I suppose I should post a guard."

"We'll keep a lookout," Zelgadiss assured him.

"Thank you. I won't worry about them tonight."

Xelloss knew that meant a long night of broken sleep for Zel, Gourry, and Valgaav. He had other concerns to occupy his mind. He dismissed his friend, and then took up the letter, concealing it in an empty wine bottle. He weighed the bottle with sand to match a normal full one, wrapped the bottle in a pink and lavender flowered silk scarf as was customary for an engagement offering, and finished the present off with more frippery, trailing a string of gemstone beads, ornate baubles, and gold coins around the neck to close it off.

He kicked back the tent flap and summoned a servant to load the gifts into a caravan immediately. Xelloss placed his specially decorated bottle in a crate with a dozen other mixed bottles of wine and brandy from the clan, the lid off.

He gave the crate over to the servant and called a trusted messenger boy to the side, whispering, "Press upon the Crown Prince the urgency of opening this bottle immediately on receipt, understand?"

"Yes, the...ah...prince. Should I know what's in it?"

"Well, now, no. I think that is a secret," Xelloss whispered, noticing his mother approaching the caravan.

Xelloss smiled and helped tie down the lid before Zelas could take an interest. Of course she knew of the traditional offering and approved of her son's quick compliance with her wishes and conformity to her will. She had no reason to doubt his sincerity or his actions, including the return of the ransom money.

"You don't think I went a little overboard with the coin necklace I sent?" he asked her with counterfeit concern.

"I wouldn't have sent such a valuable piece of jewelry, but if you're out to impress the man it should do the trick," she told him.

He smiled at the compliment. "You still want me to train Lina Inverse in magic, is that right?"

"As soon as possible."

"I was planning to begin in the morning. And her friends as well?"

"If you like, although I don't sense the potential in either of those other girls like I do with the Lina girl. She should catch on quickly."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Be sure she does," Zelas said, voice cold and hard.

Xelloss knew his mother's greed for power knew no boundaries, but using Lina to achieve her goals was not settling right with him. This wedding wasn't a good thing either, but he wouldn't argue. He needed to bend to his mother's will, comply with her wishes, carry out her instructions to the letter, or at least appear to, and without question, as galling as it was becoming. His attraction to Lina was growing with their increasing contact and as impossible as their match might be, he wanted her like no other woman he had ever encountered. And he had no reasonable explanation for feeling that way. They had just met! Still, if it ever came to choosing between his mother and Lina, his mind was made up, but could he make his own plans for his people work out too?

(O)

Lina, Filia, and Sylphiel had been delighted to wake up with crowing of roosters to find the princess nestled in her blankets at the foot of their bedrolls.

"What's on my feet? Damn, if I get the chance I'm going to strangle each and every one of those foul fowls!" Lina groused. "Why do they suffer the nasty birds anyway?"

"Well, they have to have the boy birds, you know," Sylphiel said.

"Not in the morning," Filia groaned. "Is it morning? It's still dark."

"Ouch! Oh, where am I?" Amelia asked, rubbing her side where Lina had just kicked her in the ribs.

They hardly had the opportunity to say hello, when a nervous boy arrived at the tent bringing baskets of juice and bread. He dropped them at the door and fled, afraid of the strange and grouchy women inside.

"I wonder when we start our lessons today." Sylphiel said more to break the silence than for the answer.

Boots kicked up dust at their doorway and a low voice called out, "Ah, morning, ladies. When you're done, I'll take you out to the playing field."

"Guess that's your answer," Lina said. "Magic lessons begin with the rising sun, after a light meal." She raised her voice, adding, "Thanks, Gourry. We'll be ready in five."

It was late summer-early fall now, golden autumn with the stubble fields stretching into the distance, spreading toward the foothills, and beyond them, more copses and fields until the soil became too shallow at the base of the mountains. The chestnuts were just beginning to turn amber in sharp contrast to the soil, rich and dark where the last of the carrots, lettuces, and peppers had been pulled. Pumpkins swelled, dotting the hills with orange orbs and the birds picked through the broken corn fields searching for the last fallen kernels.

"Good morning ladies." Xelloss greeted them all with his cheerful countenance.

Gourry and Zelgadiss were carrying the girls' confiscated weapons and Xelloss was doling them out. Valgaav stood a little to the side, armed crossed and scowled at their progress.

"Princess Amelia, Zelgadiss will furnish you a sword, one suitable for a lady, if you don't object?"

"I would love to train with the others. Thank you, Mr. Xelloss," she replied.

"My pleasure."

As he walked toward Filia, his smile faded as she looked over his shoulder, turning up her nose and strutting proudly to meet him. Their mutual dislike was apparent to everyone, but not understood.

"Be careful with this," he warned, as he offered her her mace and a scabbard-covered sword.

"Afraid I'll clobber you over the head with this thing?" She tested the weight of the mace in a loose swing over her head.

"No, but you might hurt someone with the sword, in particular yourself, if you are unfamiliar with one."

"Oh, so it might prick that thick skin of yours? I should try that," Filia said, smiling so hard her teeth bared in a grimace.

"It could kill any of us, except Zelgadiss, of course. He's immune," he said with no explanation but a smile. "Anyway, Gourry sharpened all the blades last night."

Xelloss suddenly stepped closer, tapping Filia's arm with a gloved finger.

"Ach!" Filia cried out as his magic numbed her arm for a moment, causing the mace to fall from her grasp.

"I mean it. Be careful."

"Grrr . . . if I hadn't promised Lina to comport myself with the dignity expected of a priestess of my station, I'd show you!" Filia said, continuing to grumble to herself.

Xelloss turned his back on her, wondering how any man could be attracted to a woman like her, yet hoping Valgaav might. It would raise the probability that his plan to save his people, such as it was, would work. He walked over to where Gourry was proudly showing Sylphiel the razor-sharp edge he'd put on her blade. Valgaav hadn't budged. His sword hung at his side, his eyes glowering. Whether he was there by choice or by Xelloss' command, he did not appear to be happy about having to participate.

Xelloss took Lina aside, delegating the other girl's training to his brothers. Valgaav, Zelgadiss, Gourry, Amelia, Filia, and Sylphiel were grouped along the edge of a field, the tent encampment of the Caprione settlement to their backs and at some distance. Together, Lina and Xelloss walked off further afield.

"I thought to start off with magic training to enhance your own natural abilities, so why don't you show me what you can do?" Xelloss began.

For the next few minutes, Lina fired off spell after spell, sending scarecrows flying and splattering unripened tomatoes everywhere.

"Ah, that will do, I think," he said, holding out his arms. "I see that you prefer aggressive attack's spells over defensive."

"Got that straight."

"When you cast your strongest spell, I'd like you to add this phrasing to the end." He whispered a few words and made her repeat them twice.

"Enough! I got it already. I'm not some empty-headed nitwit," she growled. "I'll blow up that pile of rocks."

"Do you think so?" he asked, skeptically, touching her hair, feeling its smooth softness slide through his fingers.

She froze at his sudden intimacy, and then spun away from his reach.

"Focus, focus," she repeated to herself, and then she tried her fireball attack again, this time applying it to her sword.

A nearby scarecrow hung off the ground from a wooded brace. Lina lunged at the grinning dummy, driving the sword point into the head.

"Fireball!" she screamed.

The cloth and straw scarecrow burst apart; the support post rocketed past, driving into the rock pile, and blowing it to smithereens. Her success drew a wild, nearly feral, grimace to her lips.

"Yes!"

"Careful!" Xelloss rushed to her side and caught her from falling hard to the ground. "That was an impressive show. You used up more energy than either of us expected. Now, I recommend a break. Drink?"

She accepted both offers, taking the opportunity to sit and sip at the offered flask of watered down wine. "Pretty weak," she observed.

"You'll get stronger in no time," Xelloss promised.

"I meant the wine, idiot!" she said harshly, but followed up with a knowing smile.

"The alcohol kills germs, but there's not enough to affect your coordination or judgment."

"I grew up in wine country and I can tell you that this stuff is watered down because it's so terrible it would kill you to drink it undiluted."

"Really? I should have you talk with our wine makers."

"Yeah, sure."

He watched out of the corner of his eyes, gauging her energy level. He decided by the slump of her shoulders that she would need several minutes more of rest, and so he began to talk.

End Capriones, Chapter Six.


	7. More Than Fortune Tellers

**_Capriones 8/1/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Seven -- More Than Fortune Tellers**

"I have lived in caravans– horse-drawn and trailer– all my life. I am a man of the wilds, of the open air, or the fields and the woods," Xelloss began airily.

Lina interrupted, "Yeah I've seen those caravans. The one you picked up us in was pretty crummy, but I saw others, better ones. What's up with that?"

"Richer families often have elaborately carved caravans with real glass windows. I could have used any one of several."

"Bet you sent Amelia's bottle bribe in a fine one."

Xelloss nodded slowly and smiled. "Of course."

"My point is: you didn't meet us in a fancy one us at the crossroads, which means you weren't trying to impress me, then, were ya?"

"No, I didn't know how . . . charming you were," he said.

To his fury, he felt himself blushing when it was her he meant to embarrass. He turned his face away, shadowing it with his hair, and then continued his story.

"Back to caravans . . . When we move the entire encampment, the men usually travel in front with the women and children in open trailers behind. We begin our journeys in the spring, and we stay on the move during the summer and fall, at which point we find campgrounds to settle in for the winter."

"You look _settled in _already here, to me."

"Yes, our possibilities have narrowed of late as fewer kingdoms accept our presence and Rezo's blackguards pressure them all to make our lives miserable."

"_Black_ guards? I thought they were _red_?" Lina said with a chuckle.

"Indeed."

He didn't want to discuss Rezo and allow problems to cloud the mood, though, so he smiled and adeptly changed the subject. "Our beliefs, customs, and traditions guide every aspect of life, from our relationships with each other to our relationships with the outside world. And they are not written down. Everything is passed down orally. Our adherence to these traditions is the strength of our community and family ties, on the one hand, and yet . . . our obedience to our 'code', you could call it, has also brought us to near annihilation."

"You sound proud of your life."

"At times, I am, but I also feel the need to modernize. The children should read and be educated, our trade needs to be more open, and we could use fresh blood."

Again, the moment Lina looked up at him, he blushed and looked away. "Staunch loyalty to family and community is one thing, shunning the rest of the world is another. Maintaining our own strict code of behavior is fine, but showing contempt for the laws and traditions of other societies doesn't do us any favors when we need to form alliances with, say..."

"Prince Philionel," Lina supplied.

"Yes, Philionel-- for one. You see for us, outsiders are held in suspicion, which gives us a hostile attitude in the eyes of most of the world," he said.

"You didn't intimidate me," Lina noted.

"Well, no," he said, smiling shyly, knowing that she was stretching the truth, as was he. "It wasn't necessary was it? You were _just_ girls."

"What?" Lina smacked him hard on the arm.

He started laughing.

"Nothing s-suspicious about three beautiful, young ladies h-hauling a trunk of gold all alone on one of the m-major thoroughfares!" he sputtered past his giggles.

And because he thought Lina's artificially bored expression was funnier still, he laughed even harder.

"Boy, are you ever a goof ball," Lina muttered, then smiled in spite of herself. "If Prince Phil could see _you_, he wouldn't be afraid."

"That's good!" he giggled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"You're insane," Lina mumbled, using the disruption to nab his water flask and finish it off.

Xelloss contained himself at last. "I attempt _not_ to look suspicious in order to hide my identity. I can walk among the outsiders and no one knows who I am."

"So, you do leave your settlements."

"Well, yes. There are many rules that regulate and restrict relationships with outsiders, but we do have occasional business dealings."

"Not many. I hardy see a Caprione in town, and never in the country, except here, of course, and a few beggars."

"We once were more adventurous. Many of our problems we bring on ourselves, but also the Kingdom of Seyruun refuses us land rights of the regular citizenship. The leadership is so beholden to the White Shrine that it bends over backward to appease Rezo and it has come down hard on us. Being unable to obtain land means we have no fixed abode which, in turn, makes finding work impossible. My people resort to begging and stealing."

"Like Filia was saying, Capriones aren't known for their work ethic."

"Funny, we prefer to work, but aim at earning only enough to meet the needs of the day. Most folks shun regular work hours and wages in favor of more independent and flexible kinds of labor. Then you add the seasonal movement, which forces us to find work that can be done while traveling and you have left . . . people with just a few things to trade for a living."

"Like . . . ?"

"Oh, craft things. I should show you. You can choose more to eat while we stroll the encampment, okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine with me. I can always eat."

"Using magic depletes your energy. You'll find that you need to eat more than ever."

As Xelloss led her back into camp, he pointed out different wares for sale. "...baskets, wooden spoons, brooms . . . As you can tell, we are never farmers, hunters, or fishermen."

"Not even hunting, eh?" Lina asked.

"Well, think about it. You must get up early and it's really cold out and. . . I don't want to go. That goes for fishing and farming as well."

Lina snickered in agreement with his honest assessment of his motivations. "Yeah, I'm not a morning person either. I'd rather earn my living the easy way, heh, heh. Anyway... back to the wine problem. If you don't grow your grapes, you have to buy them, and not all growers are equal, I can tell you that," Lina said. "Whoa, would you look at those! I could use a hat."

She haggled over a straw hat and a basket, settling on the basket for carrying her other purchases. Xelloss left her on her own a moment while he picked out an assortment of meat-filled, pastry pies, fruit, and cheese for their lunch. He found her plowing through a rack of hanging shawls, culling out the undesirables, and sorting the remainder by, from Xelloss' point of view, some inexplicable measure of value.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding out a flashy black and orange print with a long fringe.

"Not my colors," he answered seriously.

"For me, stupid!"

"Not yours either." He pulled her away with a gentle guiding hand. "I have something much, much better to show you, after we eat, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, but it had better be terrific for me to pass up this one."

"Oh, you won't be disappointed," he said, leaning close enough to touch her hair with his lips.

Lina felt the warmth rush to her face at the sound of his breathy whisper in her ear.

"So, ah," she said suddenly. "Filia has a real grudge against you and all Capriones."

Her question had the effect she wanted. Xelloss straighten and moved to the side.

"Call it a wild dislike," he said.

"No kidding. She claims you guys steal away their children. Any reason why you pick on her Cepheid clan in particular?"

"Her clan? No, we lure bored kids and runaways from all the Cepheid clans. It's easy, actually. We offer freedom from their straight-laced lifestyle, rules, and rigid laws, and the young people come. All the fair-haired folk were once likely to have had ancestors from her clan or ones like hers."

"Even your mother?"

He smiled, eyes glittering dangerously beneath his eyelashes. "Especially her, but the rest is . . . a secret!"

Lina followed Xelloss up to a stand flouting colorful bottles of drinks. It was maddening how he could give her so much information one minute, then once the started to delve into something meaty, he would cut her off and withhold the rest. Still, he did it so charmingly; Lina couldn't hold her anger against him for long. His good looks were arresting, from his shiny, sleek hair and delicate features with his ready smile, to his nimble, toned body.

Along the way, she noticed how the girls smiled his way, both the young and the old. Men showed him respect and often bowed slightly as he passed. Merchants treated him differentially, often bringing a choice item out from beneath their bench, like the one standing before them now.

"Hey, I never had wine made from apples before, or pears," Lina said.

The young man showed her another bottle. "Then you must try this one. It's the best, I think. And over here I have blackberry from last summer's gleanings."

"Gleanings? Oh, I get it, this is made from windfall fruit and what you find on open land," Lina said. "Tell you what," she pulled out a piece of card stock, a pen, and scribbled a note, handing it over, "Next time you get in the neighborhood of Zephillia, go to this address and tell them I sent ya. They'll give you a big discount. That's my family's vineyard and they owe me for driving off an encroaching bandit group that wanted to make our field a hideout or something like that. Anyway, it's good for something."

He thanked her effusively, although it wasn't likely that he'd be getting that far south soon enough for this year's harvest. He was careful not to smile too widely, not with his prince glowering down at him.

"Mostly you see we do metal work," Xelloss led on. "Once, Capriones worked for kings producing the finest products as in ornamental bowls and pitchers. Some of our craftsmen excelled in making sword blades. Now we make mostly serving ware and kitchen utensils."

Xelloss stopped in front of a tent where a grouping of brass pots was lined up, while Lina admired the size of the largest. She tested its weight, deciding against it for the next size smaller.

"This will do nicely for stew on the road. How much did you say?"

Lina wasn't about to pay a penny more than she had to for anything, even to the poorest merchant not that she had to worry much about being overcharged with Xelloss at her elbow. A price was quickly agreed upon and they left, Xelloss carrying both the basket and the pot.

"So, now you have seen that we are basically a peaceful collection of craftsmen," he said.

All who love you, Lina thought to herself. Clearly, it was he that the Capriones looked up to for leadership in the future. Aloud she said, "And fortune-tellers. I bet your hiding those."

Xelloss smiled. "Yes, they are here, but not really hiding. Misinforming inquisitive outsiders has a long tradition for self-preservation of customs. It gives us an aura of mystery and magic."

"But it earns money, too, right?"

"Yes it does, especially if the fortuneteller is able to cast spells as well as fear through superstitious outsiders they can add a little more realism."

"Sounds dangerous. They must be careful not to get caught by the priest's spies."

"That's correct, so magic is seldom used and carefully concealed these days. Anyway, the real skill of the reader lies in their ability to judge human character."

"That's something I'm good at too," Lina divulged. "I use it to choose the right spell to knock someone out."

"How clever of you!"

"Yeah, I am. I'm going to be the best sorceress in no time. I'll top even Rezo."

"That is what we are working toward," he said as they found a shady, dry place to sit and eat their picnic.

"I hear marriage to an outsider is off-limits," Lina said without warning as they ate their lunch. "So how is it you can marry Princess Amelia."

Xelloss kept his eyes down, examining the food in his hand. "She is essentially a Caprione now."

Lina gave him a withering look. "Does she know that? Don't bother answering. Of course she doesn't. That's just another nasty surprise for her, marriage to a man she doesn't love or even know being the first. Not the wedding of her dreams, I can betcha."

"A wedding is a symbolic act with little religious or legal significance," he told her, frowning.

"Not to her!"

"I didn't say that marriage had no emotional or social meaning. I was referring to the ceremony we practice."

"Oh. So, what's it going to be like?"

"In a traditional ceremony, the couple simply joins hands in front of our queen and promises to be true to one another."

"Uh, huh. So can you just part your separate ways after a change of heart?" Lina still held out hope for a way out of the wedding ceremony.

"All couples are expected to be faithful to each other until death," he replied, sighing. "And to ensure that, I suppose, until they have a child, they live in the husbands parent's caravan, his mother being matriarch of the family."

"So, Amelia will live with you and your mother? Poor kid. A strange man is bad enough, but your mother, geez . . . " Lina sighed and shook her head, then bit off more of her third meat pie. "Not to mention cramping your style," she added with her mouth full.

Xelloss drank from their shared wine bottle and waited for Lina to digest the information he'd given her. The marriage was not his decision, not his desire, and not going to happen to his mother's plan, if he had any mind of his own at all. He was drawn to this young woman sitting in the dry grass, sharing his food, and wanted her to think well of him. He needed her to trust him and take his side, when the battle for power in the kingdom came to pass, which he knew wasn't far off. Damn his mother! Her interference, forcing this wedding with the princess, could destroy all his plans for his people, and as he observed Lina's sparkling hair in the sunlight and felt his heart stir, he worried that he would lose her for certain soon. He was startled out of his inner turmoil by another of Lina's abrupt questions.

"So how are you a prince to your people? What kind of power does that give you over their lives? I mean, you don't seem to have much over your own. From what I see, everybody likes you, that was obvious just walking through the camp. You are the leader they want, so why do you have to kowtow to your mother like you do? Matriarch is one thing, but she's ruining the lives of Amelia and Zelgadiss."

"Individual achievement means little; rather, the emphasis is on a strong sense of group identity and loyalty. I am a prince because my mother is the queen. Clan leaders adopt the name of 'Queen', their first born son is 'Prince,' names generally bestowed as a sign of respect, but not recognized as true royalty or nobility by Seyruun or the other kingdoms. If you think our people would choose to follow me over her, you are mistaken. They may like me as you observed, but they fear her, a very persuasive emotion."

Lina could tell Xelloss was only telling her what he would. He sounded pedantic, the warmth gone from his voice. There were answers she wouldn't be getting from him and she didn't know him well enough to know how far she could push.

**End Capriones, Chapter Seven.**


	8. Enter Cardinal Rezo

**_Capriones 8/1/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Eight -- Enter Cardinal Rezo**

Xelloss finished off the rest of his meat pie, as Lina licked her fingers. He hopped to his feet, and extended a hand to her.

"Shall we get back to your training? See if you can surprise me."

Lina wanted to surprise him. She wanted to please him, remarkably. But more that either of those desires, she wanted to throttle him for making her feel that way. Nobody got to her. No. Body. Besides, he was going to marry a princess, and not just any princess, the one she was supposed to have rescued, until he got in the way. And what about poor Zelgadiss? That guy was in love with Princess Amelia and for some reason she seemed to have fallen for him and Xelloss was going to screw up all that. That was something to hate Xelloss about. There, a little anger--that felt better.

"I'll think about it," she replied.

"In fact, I have a new spell for you, maybe you've heard of it? Dragon Slave?" he asked, smiling.

"Dragon Slave! You're going to teach me that!" Lina said, gasping to catch her breath. Okay, so she could like him a little, but just a little, for now.

"Yes, but first . . . " He hesitated a second to add drama as he pulled several heavy pieces of jewelry from his shoulder knapsack.

Lina's mind went wild. Two bracelets, a belt, and a brooch for closing a cape, all of worked gold, encrusted with dark, red rubies. Instinctively, she reached out to take the shiny offering.

"What are those? Oh, yeah, you were wearing them under your cloak when I first met you."

"Very perceptive of you."

She froze in position as it occurred to her how inappropriate it would be for her to accept such a gift. Just what significance would Xelloss and his fellow Capriones apply to this exchange if a single necklace could denote an engagement? Slowly, she withdrew her outstretched hand.

"Eh, nice," she said. It was painful yielding to her underutilized self control.

"Oh, don't worry. It's not a trick. There's no implied obligation here. These are for you. They are magic amulets to strengthen your magic. You'll need them to execute the Dragon Slave, at least at first."

In the blink of an eye, Lina's eyes, ruby-red like the gemstones embedded in the jewelry, Lina liked Xelloss more. A lot.

"Hey, thanks!"

He noticed how flawless her skin was and how smooth her neck against which he was attempting to attach a king's ransom in jewels, an unusual brooch of cabochon star rubies in pure gold backed by an adulterated metal for strength.

"The blouse you are wearing is too thin for the weight of this. Tonight there will be music and dancing and feasting, assuming Prince Philionel accepts the deal. It will be cool then. I have a cape for you to wear and you can close it with the brooch," he said, smiling down at her and tracing his finger over the curve of her cheek and neck.

She jumped at his touch, blushing. Xelloss helped her pin the last amulet to the belt.

"There. That will do for now."

Lina admired what she could see of the jewelry on her arms.

"Nice. So, Rezo and his red-blackguards hate the Capriones because you are magic users you think?"

"Cardinal Rezo goes back some time, and the explanation is even more basic than that. During times of social turmoil, leaders always look for someone to blame for their troubles. It was easy to blame the Capriones because of our nomadic lifestyle. With no permanent settlements there was no king to protect us, no army. The initial curiosity and appreciation the folks of a new kingdom might have of our people when we just entered, seems to soon disintegrate and turn into suspicion and fear when fueled by Rezo's threats and lies. We were, and still are, often blamed for crimes within months of our arrival in towns."

"Yeah, well you also pay no taxes, rob folks, shun churches, and other establishments, too. Unfair treatment isn't unexpected, surely?"

"Probably not," Xelloss shrugged. "Our livelihood presents a negative image certainly. Then there were the charges of sorcery and witchcraft made against fortune-tellers."

"Mostly due to their wild and dire predictions that spread fear and panic among the ignorant townsfolk," Lina filled in. "Not to mention that they actually practice sorcery, which, we all know, is outlawed."

"And as the Great White Shrine rose to become the controlling power in much of land, Capriones living outside of the protected settlements were hunted down, mistaken for spies, and murdered."

"Along with the rest of the members of the sorcery guilds, Xelloss. You haven't been alone in your misfortune, you know."

"I know. We lost many friendly people in the first 'scourings.' Cardinal Rezo excommunicated all the Capriones, though, calling them pagans and forbidding them to worship in churches. That kind of attitude of the dominant church certainly influenced the populace to view our people as a threat. The actions of the cardinal were the beginnings of the last decades of discrimination and persecution by the church and other authorities, which have ultimately escalated and resulted in attempts to actually exterminate us to the last man, woman and child!"

"Well, that I can attest to. I've seen decrees and edicts issued for the purpose of expelling Capriones from territories all the way from Atlas City," Lina said.

"Many Capriones have been enslaved for their metalworking abilities, after becoming indispensable to monarchs and economies and wars. We probably hammer out the swords to kill our fellow people," Xelloss said sadly. "We are called pagans, because we believe in the supernatural and are condemned for our nonconformist attitudes. Well, may your gods protect you," he added with a humorless chuckle.

"My gods? Are mine so different from yours? I mean, Capriones are obviously not Cepheid believers, and since you use black magic, then I expect you invoke the power of Shabranigdo. Do you have some religion?"

"We do not have a religion of our own nor traditional priests and ministers, in fact, you might call me both a prince and a priest combined together. We do believe in a supreme being, The Lord of Nightmares, and in the supernatural. We have faith in magic, in omens both good and bad, in powerful curses, and miraculous cures. We also have a strong belief in invisible spirits, ghosts, and vampires. We believe that evil spirits exist everywhere and must be carefully guarded against and kept at bay through the use of spells and charms."

"Or put to use," Lina said with a smirk. "Good or evil, spirits have power to harness."

"Well, yes, but most people prefer to ward off evil spirits we resort to the wearing of good-luck charms and magic amulets imbued with magical powers that have the power to ward off danger."

He had carefully avoided mentioning the demon lord by name, as Lina had done with a cool nonchalance. Shabranigdo was not a force to be taken lightly. He touched the pin at her waist.

"These amulets have far more use than that, of course. Let's test them out."

(O)

"It is for the greater cause," Rezo invoked to the masses swarming below his balcony.

He had arrived at the Great White Shrine of Seyruun, which was a shrine to Cepheid second only to the one reduced to a crater in the demolition of Sairaag during Rezo's first purging of the evil sorcerers. Although Atlas City was the larger, grander city, Seyruun was reputed to be the white magic capital of the world, in direct defiance of his edicts. They were the last hold out and, as he was discovering, a most difficult city and kingdom to subdue. So far, he hadn't threatened the leaders with death or expulsion; he didn't need to, the city was flooded with expatriates from all over the country, carrying with them tales of 'cleansings' more poignant than any he could tell. It was just a matter of time, waiting out the slow-witted, peace-loving Prince Philionel to bend to his will, while removing the more dangerous elements, like Lina Inverse. She had thwarted his best men, including his deputy, Vurumagen, a staggering number of times. His informants had intimated recently that Lina could be hiding in Seyruun.

Thinking of her and the frustration she caused him, darkened his heart further. With an irritable flourish, he raised his arms, holding his ringed-staff aloft and spreading the crimson-colored mantle that hung over an even deeper wine-red cloak. He knew this gave him the appearance of being larger than life. Across square, over the heads of the rapt audience the rings to the priest's staff banged together, ringing, jangling, and mesmerizing the weaker minds.

"Ordinary values of life or death can be set aside almost as they can in war. You say to yourself, 'This is for my shrine, my people. I create a lesser evil that a greater good may be obtained.'"

He watched his audience closely for their expected reaction to his words, woven with magic to intensify the emotional impact, and slowly lowered his arms.

"All through history people have done that, and depending on the outcome, they are either crowned or hanged. History afterwards will call them hero or traitor. Success is the common judge. It takes a rare man to set his standards over other standards, and that is why I am here, your cardinal. Good day and may Cephied bless you."

He smiled, pleased with their applause and cheers and accolades. Everything was coming together, except . . .

Before his smile faded, Rezo left the balcony and stormed into the great hall of the shrine, demanding answers.

"Rodimus, Zolf! You have been combing the land for my grandson for years and my Orihalcon statue for months. And have you found that Inverse witch? I give you men and funding and what do you bring back? Stories, excuses, nothing! I should have your heads set on spikes and carried around the country as a warning to all who fail me."

The two men had no defense. They had intentionally avoided obeying all those commands.

"We believe that Zelgadiss must have been killed by the Capriones in return for having freed them."

"Nonsense!" Rezo said. "You deduce that from what?"

"Ah . . . Well, they haven't asked for money in return for him, mostly. He's worth more than those people see in a year," Rodimus replied. The grizzled man was sweating, his eyes restless.

"We haven't encountered a single bandit in weeks," the younger man called Zolf said. "Which implies Lina's still out there robbing and slaying them. She must have the magic statue!"

"Fools! If Lina Inverse had such a tool, she wouldn't have the self-control not to use it! I would know if she had. No, it's hidden away, its value unknown in some bandit's hideout."

"Well, it's possible that the same Capriones that killed Zelgadiss have Lina and the statue you want," Rodimus grumbled.

"Then it is time you finally dealt with the Capriones," Rezo said in a tightly clipped manner, his patience with the incompetents thinning. "Well? What are you waiting here for? Get on with it!" Rezo snapped. "Don't stand here in my presence– get out and do something useful!"

He had an appointment with Prince Randolph, Prince Philionel's youngest brother. Prince Philionel, Princess Amelia, a middle brother, Prince Christopher, and his son Duke Alfred, all stood in line to inherit the throne before Randy. Philionel ran the capital city of the kingdom of Seyruun, while Christopher lived like a nomad, in charge of the outlying villages and towns and on the road much of the time. Randy was a trusted advisor and priest to the king, their father; however, he lusted after the throne and was hungry for power, something Rezo understood and admired, because it meant that he could manipulate Randy.

"Ah, what would you have us do? I mean, where do we begin, Lord Cardinal?" Rodimus asked cautiously, but meeting Rezo's eyes with a straight, challenging stare.

They were just two men. They couldn't search the entire kingdom for a missing boy, a magical implement, and a sorceress all at the same time, even if they had wanted to.

"I haven't got time for wastrels," Rezo said. "Find that Inverse woman! If she's not in Seyruun, then go elsewhere! Whether she is here or hiding out with those foul Capriones, I don't care, just don't return empty-handed again."

**End Capriones, Chapter Eight.**


	9. A Claire Bible

**_Capriones 8/1/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Nine -- A Claire Bible**

Lina listened carefully as Xelloss recited the incantation required to activate the amulets. His hands were on her arms, moving them in the manner required to complete the casting. She could feel his strength through the gloves.

"I think if you concentrate on executing all of the movements this time and not just the ones requiring the least effort, you'll have better luck. And, since you know the fireball spell well enough to minimize the use of spell words, why not tag that onto the end and see how much the amulets enhance that spell; that is, if you're serious about becoming a better sorceress."

She hungered for the knowledge she knew he had, but discovered that she delighted in the feeling of his gentle touch on her arm and the sound of his voice just as much. Her self-confidence was fickle, choosing to leave her at that moment. When she considered how unfeminine she was, how small and skinny she was,how unlike the bosomy, red-lipped, flirtatious girls who had accosted Xelloss at every turn she was,Lina came to the unfortunate conclusion that she was a really undesirable catch.

There was one particularly annoying girl who wore her long green hair in tight coils by her ears and who twittered suggestively in his ear when Lina was sure to notice. What made it worse, he didn't tell her to shove off, not that girl. He just laughed! If that was the kind of girl he liked, then how unattractive she must be to him! Her attention wavered and her self doubt crushed her will-power to carry off the spell. The casting withered to a breath of smoke on her fingertips, to be carried aloft by the passing breeze.

"Argh!" she screamed in frustration and embarrassment.

"Hmmm, it shouldn't be so hard for you to use these spell enhancing amulets," Xelloss said softly.

His eyes traveled over her lithe form, lingering on parts having nothing to do with casting spells, and landing on her lips. His fingers fluttered over the gemstones, as if adjusting the fit, straying over the edges slightly. Slowly, he met her eyes and smiled.

"You look plenty healthy. I daresay you are the most beautiful, talented young sorceress I've ever seen. So, what's the problem?"

Lina nearly melted in his hot gaze, then remembered that this was an engaged young man, a prince, and not hers. He shouldn't be giving her tantalizing looks, the teaser! Maybe it was that sudden burst of anger or his compliments giving a boost to her confidence; in any case, she pushed him aside, ready to prove herself.

"Damned straight, I am! No problem here at all," she snapped, and then ran through her windup without error, finishing with the shout, "Fireball!"

The resulting explosion took out the nearby cliff, causing an avalanche. She was so proud. Xelloss gained his footing, as he watched the cascading rocks. He dusted off his pants, dazed by Lina's display of power.

"That was . . . spectacular, Miss Lina."

"I think so... pretty much. Now teach me that Dragon Slave spell. You promised."

"Yes, I did. Okay, I can see you want to learn, but we must find you a safe target."

"That one!" Lina pointed vaguely into the distance.

This time Lina required only two trials before executing her first Dragon Slave, leveling a hill in the process.

"Shall I find you another mountain to level?" he asked, walking up to her, waving away an imaginary the dust cloud as he did.

"Naw, I'm gonna save up for Rezo and his cronies. Do you think I could take you on?"

Gently, he rested his gloved hands on her shoulders, and leaned closer.

"Do you want to?" he asked, kissing her cheek and her throat.

Her skin was soft and warm in the sunlight and when she sighed, he didn't want to stop, but he did. He felt her struggle in his arms, just a little, so he released her and stepped back.

"Prince!"

In the distance a boy's shout could be heard as he ran toward them. Xelloss turned around to observe his messenger boy approaching.

"Ah, he's got a letter. Let's hope it's good news from Prince Philionel."

"What do you consider to be good news?" Lina asked grumpily.

He couldn't possibly want to go through with his marriage to Amelia, could he, she wondered? Xelloss was walking to meet the boy, so Lina followed.

"Nothing else? Just this?" Xelloss asked the boy, holding up the sealed letter.

"That's all he gave me. I waited, just as you commanded."

"I must return to my tent now," Xelloss said to Lina.

"Lessons over?" Lina asked.

"Yes," Xelloss said in a clipped fashion.

Lina trotted behind him, wondering what he was thinking. She was dying to get a peek at that letter, too. She had her chance once they were inside, hidden from curious eyes. Xelloss had opened the message from Prince Philionel, Amelia's father, along the way, but after staring at the paper a minute, he frowned and gave up trying to decipher its meaning.

Crushing it in his hand with frustration and blurted out, "I don't understand this. What does he mean? He'll greet me with his 'Pa-something'? And do I really deserve what he calls his 'Good Will To War Men... something else?' The leader of the Kingdom of Seyruun is insane!"

"Gimme that!" Lina yanked the note out of his hands and read it quickly, then laughed. "Oh that's 'Pacifist's Crush' and his 'Good Will Toward Men Crush.' Those are his...ah...power words, I guess you'd call them. Okay, so he's a bit odd. Phil talks that way. Those are his attacks, which sound pretty lame, but he delivers a mighty punch."

"Oh, well, _terrific._ What else does he say? He didn't return the necklace for Amelia to wear at the ceremony. I know the note you wrote him _said _to do that. Why didn't he _do_ that?"

"Don't get so bent out of shape," Lina said dismissively. "Okay, he says pretty much 'Thanks for necklace. Thought it a bit garish at first, but I'm having a new uniform fashioned to go with it. Nice wine. Holding off, but only days, then sending troops if daughter is not...' Aaaaahhh . . . He is not pleased with my progress, it seems. I don't think he gets the wedding thing."

Xelloss spat out a few expletives, losing his composure. Lina however laughed nervously.

"Well, I guess I'll have to go in person and set the man straight, heh, heh . . . "

"Well, for the loving fists of justice, how can I allow that?"

"You can come along."

Xelloss flung his arms around in exasperation. "I can't just up and go. I'm getting married!"

"How about after?"

He looked down at her, perturbed. "Naturally I should leave my new princess bride and go traveling with you." He raised his voice to a falsetto and added in an affected tone, "Ah, my dear, I vow to be true to you on my journey, so don't mind the lovely lady inside the caravan with me." His voice returned to normal and he finished, "No, Miss Lina Inverse, that's not going to fly."

"Don't be an ass. How about one of your trusted brethren? Send one of them along with me!"

Xelloss' irritation vanished as his attention swung to the figure shadowing his doorway.

"Aaah!" Lina screamed in surprise and shock as the letter in her hand burst into flames and Zelas entered the tent.

"Mother," Xelloss said, with complete composure and respect, despite his veiled contempt for her inopportune arrival.

"I understand a messenger arrived. Was that it?" Zelas watched Lina fan her scorched fingers as the letter fragments floated, charred in the air.

"Yes on both accounts. I had to destroy it before it got into the wrong hands."

Lina knew he meant his mother, but his careful wording let Zelas assume he meant her.

"It was already in the wrong hands. Lina shouldn't have had the opportunity to get her hands on it in the first place. In fact, the young lady shouldn't be in your private tent at all. Where is the necklace dowery?"

"I have taken care of it," he replied.

Again, Lina understood Zelas to mean 'was it returned?' and Xelloss hadn't exactly lied, but he hadn't told her what she really wanted to know. He was being elusive, sneaky, and ambiguous– qualities which improved his 'mama's-boy' image in her mind. What baffled her was that his mother didn't question or even take notice of his evasiveness. She trusted her son explicitly, Lina guessed.

Some tension left Zelas' body with a sigh, but her face barely showed it and it relaxed into a tight smile.

"Splendid! So the engagement was accepted," Zelas said. "The wedding will be conducted next evening. There will be a dance tonight, which means I have some preparations to attend to."

Lina's surprise caught in her throat, drawing unwanted attention her way. Zelas' icy glare swept over her, sending a chill throughout her body.

"I thought I told you to go, Miss Inverse," Zelas said dismissively. "Xelloss, you have your own duties waiting for you as well."

"Yes, I do. I'll notify our guests of the plans immediately," he said with a small bow, the smile returning to his face as he winked at Lina.

"Congratulations, Xelloss. Later, then," Lina said, chin held high, and then she strutted grandly out of his tent.

"She'll need all that bravado when she faces Rezo," Zelas said when Lina was gone.

"So you believe it will come to that very soon?" Xelloss asked.

"Yes. Rezo continues to build evermore powerful forces. He is already in Seyruun, poisoning the minds of the leadership there, no doubt. Uniting with the royal house will be a masterful move on our part. It may be our only hope. However, I never rely on hope. Lina Inverse must be trained completely before he arrives. Armed with the most deadly spells her power can control she has a chance. Take this."

Zelas handed over a leather-bound tome, thick, and well-worn. The air smelled of ozone, crackling with magic as it changed hands.

"Train her harder today. You may never get another chance after that."

Xelloss took the rare manuscript containing dark magic incantations, bowing lower. "Thank you. I will."

"Do not disappoint me, Xelloss. I need not remind you that Valgaav is hungry for your position."

She ran her fingernails over his smooth cheek, turned, and left him to ruminate on her threat.

"He hasn't the stomach for what you have to offer," Xelloss said in a voice too low to be heard, "even if he thinks he has."

After leaving Xelloss' tent, Lina hung around outside eavesdropping. She learned that Xelloss had a magic book and had orders to teach her more. That wasn't so bad, she thought, but Rezo was closer than she had suspected, not to mention that it looked like Princess Amelia and Zelgadiss were about to have their short-lived romance snuffed. Lina rushed to find Zelgadiss and inform him of what she heard. After all, it affected his future.

Zelgadiss took the news badly, pushing Lina aside, and ripping past her. He dashed to Xelloss' tent to confront him immediately.

"Xelloss," he growled. "She gave you the Claire Bible, didn't she? Don't lie. Lina overheard Zelas tell you about it. You know I've been wanting a look at that. Xelloss, damn it! It might have my cure! Yes, that's it!"

Zelgadiss lurched forward, grabbing Xelloss' shirt, nearly strangling him in his effort to reach the book. Xelloss held the Claire Bible out of Zel's reach, but since they were nearly the same size, Zelgadiss had only to outmaneuver him to pinch it. Xelloss gasped for air, trying to squirm free without resorting to magic. He could not let the other boy see the contents, but neither did he want to pass out nor hurt his friend's pride by challenging his manhood in a fight.

He had no choice; in a snap, he made the book disappear.

"I'm sorry, Zel. I can't let you have it."

Zelgadiss pushed away and stood panting, anger painting his expression.

"I can tell you that there's no cure for your condition in that book. No healing spells, only destructive ones."

"Maybe that's the problem. To undo this may take a dis-creation spell of some kind, can't you see that?"

Xelloss shook his head. "That would surely kill you. You know that. I'm sorry. I would do anything I could to help you, but don't ask me for this again."

An empty feeling of hopelessness combined with defeat filled Zelgadiss with despair. He turned away, hiding his face and emotions. All his attempts at undoing the terrible spell his grandfather had placed on him had failed. Nothing altered his appearance, ever. He would be like a rock, cold, hard, untouchable, unworthy of love, especially of a princess. It was good that Xelloss was the one to marry her, putting her out of his own realm of possibilities forever. Sadness descended upon him like a smothering cloud of wood smoke.

"If I could return to normal, I know I could accrue more followers to foment a rebellion. And with Amelia by my side, I'd have the army of Seyruun." Zelgadiss raised his eyes to meet Xelloss'. "But that's not going to happen now, is it? Zelas will see you marry her." He sighed and let his shoulders sag, giving up more pride. "You should have killed me on capture, rather than shelter a worthless freak. My failures will be added to your burden as well."

Xelloss did not want for his friend to suffer. He did not want to take away the best thing that had ever happened to him, the love and support of the princess, and Amelia was so very good for Zel.

He put a hand on his shoulder turning him back to face him, and whispered, "Don't go adding to my problems, friend. I didn't save you for the joy of tormenting. Those men you freed have been hard at work in your support, defying Rezo's orders to locate you and the Orihalcon statuette."

Zel's eyes brightened.

"Is that true? How do you know that without communicating with the outside world?"

"We have no formal links, that's true, but we know how to keep in touch. There are various cafes, bars and grocery stores with folks friendly to us where we receive mail and, naturally, we have many spies and runners and messengers spread all over the country linking the various Caprione settlements," Xelloss said.

"Ialways suspected thatthe Capriones had an uncanny and amazing ability to find one another," Zelgadiss said.

"Yes we do, and we uncover plenty of information, when we need to, and we have these last few years just to keep one step ahead of the Red Guard. Believe me when I tell you that both Zolf and Rodimus have been stalwart men, true to you and ready to fight by your side when the time comes, and in spite of your appearance, I might add. They will gather and protect many more, I don't doubt."

"And you just bothered to inform me of this now? How long have you been keeping this a secret from me?"

"I only just learned of it, believe me! A messenger gave his life for that information, and now I am beholden to take care of his family."

Zelgadiss placed his hand on his arm, saying, "No, I am. I'll do that, even if I must marry the woman to do repay the debt."

Xelloss smiled, shaking his head.

"Giving up on your little princess already? No, that won't be necessary, kind and thoughtful of you, but I require your services still. Listen, Zel, I take no pleasure in these upcoming nuptials, but I cannot defy my mother outright, understand? So, to that effect, I have a plan. It is very dangerous and will require your cooperation."

Zelgadiss' eyes glittered with excitement. "With you, what plan isn't risky? Just tell me what I have to do."

"Okay. . ."

**End Capriones, Chapter Nine.**


	10. Schemers and Traitors

**_Capriones 8/1/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Ten -- Schemers and Traitors**

Val knocked on the wooden frame of the tent, calling out, "It's Valgaav; you wanted to talk?"

"Oh! Come in," Filia said, straightening the folds of her long dress.

He parted the flaps and stepped in, looking side to side.

"Alone?"

"Yes, Lina, Sylphiel, and Amelia left shopping for clothes for the country mixer tonight. Kind of a party, Lina said. I see nothing to celebrate, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

He fell onto a pile of pillows, tucking his arms behind his head and spreading his legs comfortably.

"Go ahead."

"Well, I would like you to tell me what you think happened to your people after you were taken away by Queen Zelas," Filia said, summoning all her poise in front of the intense young man.

Valgaav removed a tooth pick from his pants pocket and started to chew on it.

"Why?" he asked, not budging from his reclining position in her tent.

"Well," she began.

She stopped her hands before they pressed her dress smooth for the tenth time and folded them primly in her lap. Filia felt Valgaav's eyes on her, watching her fidget. She most certainly didn't want him to think he was making her nervous; she was an accomplished mercenary, a grown woman! With a deep breath, she centered herself, concentrating on what she wanted to learn and how to express herself effectively. Doubtlessly, she would need to appeal to his ego to get any information out of him.

"What little Lina reported didn't match with what I knew to be the truth. I'd like to hear your side from you."

"Oh yeah? Beginning with what?"

"You were a prince, I understand. That's remarkable, actually. There are so few tribes remaining, and none I know of with any royalty alive today."

His face registered interest and he sat up. "You don't say?"

"That I know of, as I said."

"Well, I was a prince of my own tribe, until Zelas killed my mother and claimed me like a piece of property. In theory, Xelloss and I share a father, although I've never believed that."

"You two are no more alike than Lina and me– less so. Sounds like a lie to me. What did your father have to say about that?"

"The man's dead, been dead awhile. I was told he died in a battle a long ways away."

"I'm sorry, Valgaav, about your father."

He shrugged and looked away dismissing her pity.

"So, why do you think Queen Zelas would lie that way?" Filia asked, determined not to be shut out.

"Xelloss, who doesn't believe we are related either, says Zelas claimed I was family in order to save my life. Our home, a castle on the cliffs was attacked in the night. A bomb blast woke us out of bed and it was dark. I was bound, blindfolded, and dragged out. I could hear the screams of my family, by sisters, the servants, and the roar of fire. I could smell smoke and feel the heat. Someone knocked me out, and next I knew I was here. I was told my father had this other family and now that was where I was going to live."

"How terrible! What happened to everyone else? Have you seen or heard from anybody, your family, anyone from your tribe?"

"No. I assumed they were all taken into different Caprione settlements. Why are you asking me all these questions? Do you know something about any of this?"

Instead of answering, Filia leaned forward and asked more questions. "Yours was the tribe of Ancients, right? That's what you called it?"

"Yeah, what of it? I've told you enough. It's your turn to do some talking."

"I think some Cephied men from the neighboring village who were actually part of our Golden tribe, although not a . . . "

"Get on with it! What about them? What did they do?"

"I am! This is difficult. Don't interrupt! They were forced to attack and destroy the Ancients," she said quickly.

"What did you say? Forced by who? Why?"

"I have learned that Cardinal Rezo was behind the plot to rub out the Ancient tribe. Rumor has it that was because your people held a secret powerful weapon and planned to use it against him."

"A what? You say my family and maybe all my people were murdered over some stupid sword or something? You must think I'm pretty gullible to swallow that."

"I know it must sound like so much malarkey, but it's not, I promise you. And I said 'weapon', which might be anything, but you must see Milgasia for the details. He is an elected official and the leader of my tribe. Our royalty was rounded up and shot for using magic in a religious ceremony. Anyway, Milgasia knows the truth about the attack. That is partially why I am with Lina now– to fight Rezo and the Red Guard. You should, too. Forget all this nonsense with the Capriones and come with me. Meet Milgasia. Join our fight."

"Milgasia? I remember hearing about him. Must be a really old guy now."

Valgaav looked thoughtful, recalling all that he could about the man. It wasn't much. None of his past memories were clear anymore. His past was threatening to fade away forever, where it belonged! He wasn't a prince, he was a player.

"You must have younger men to lead your tribes," Valgaav said somewhat irritably. "Why do you continue to follow Milgasia?"

"Well, besides the fact that he is very wise and trusted, we follow him because he cares about us all and has the most marvelous sense of humor. It is difficult not to like someone who likes you and who can see the absurd in life and laugh at it."

Valgaav was obliged to agree with her, although he would rather not have. He hardly knew this woman and yet she was turning his world inside out as she spoke both by her bluntness and the substance of her thoughts. It was a disturbing feeling; it threw him off balance.

"Why me?" he ventured. "Why do you want me to join your cause?"

"You mean you don't want to avenge your family and your people? You're notworthless Caprione rubbish. You have credentials! You are a prince of the Cepheid tribe, the only one, which makes you our king, you nincompoop! People would follow you, listen to you."

"Yeah, sure they would."

"Well, they would, I assure you. You have a certain aplomb, an icy-cool reserve about you which is most attractive. It's referred to as 'royal icing' by some."

She smiled suddenly and radiantly.

He swore under his breath. He hated such open flattery, and hated more the acute state of pleasure it gave him.

Valgaav looked into Filia's clean cool eyes and was startled, even chilled, by the intelligence in them, and by a glimpse of something which might have been emotion, or simply force of will. Suddenly he wondered how old she was. What had happened in her life? Whom she had loved and hated; what extravagant dreams she had pursued and won, or lost? She moved with the ease and pride of a young woman, but her eyes held the knowledge, wit, and assurance of a man-- a very independent young lady unlike any he had ever met before, except that Lina Inverse witch.

"You would become our rallying point now," she said, earnestly. "Our people need a person with the popularity, the image people could follow, would sacrifice their money, their houses, even their lives for. That kind of loyalty attaches only to someone with either a royal birthright or a character of extraordinary valor and passion- or to someone who can be seen as a symbol of what the people most desire. It does not matter whether that loyalty is born of truth or fiction, but it must ignite a belief in victory that overrides the defeats and disappointments, the weariness and the loss. And, sadly, try as he likes, Milgasia does not possess that illusory appeal, but you, a symbol of the great Ancient race of our people, young, strong, and handsome, would--"

"Just knock off the shit and let me think about all this," Valgaav growled, stumbling to his feet. "No, you come with me. I gotta know if what you're saying's the truth." He grasped her arm firmly and stormed out of the tent.

(O)

"Prince Randolph will see you now in the chart room, Lord Cardinal, sir," announced the servant.

"It's about time," Rezo said tartly, closing the book he was reading.

As he entered the room, he took in the walls of maps carefully rolled and stored in labeled slots, the partially drawn shade shielding a small table, a cut-glass decanter, and one empty glass from the direct rays of the late autumn sun. Two leather chairs of mammoth proportions were arranged on either side of the table, and in one rested the youngest son of the king, Randy, fingering another glass.

"Port?" he offered.

"No, thank you," Rezo said, taking the other chair when the prince indicated that he should.

The cardinal was perfectly composed, but thought the prince was tense and possibly fearful. Randy ran a finger over his large hooked nose, the bridge of his nose broken in the middle. As he told it, he was injured in a hunting accident when his rifle had backfired unexpectedly, but Rezo had heard the story another way: that he had it smashed in a bar room brawl, an unacceptable situation and excuse for a prince. Randy shook his shoulder-length, stringy blond hair away from his face, another sign to Rezo that the man was nervous. And he should be. Randy physically resembled the King's favorite mistress more than any of his noble relations, and he probably was their love-child. It would explain the man's insecurities, which Rezo wished to use to his best advantage.

"We need to turn the minds of the people," Rezo began the conversation, which had been at his request, not the prince's. "They listen to and respect the word of the king too much, and here in Seyruun, your brother, Prince Phil. The king is old. His ideas belong to the past ages, good ones, but ineffectual for the New Age. Philionel is just his mouth piece and your brother Christopher . . . "

Rezo sighed and held out a hand to wave away that man as a possible leader for this people. "He shows his rural roots every time he opens his mouth. He would have made a fine country squire."

"Nomad," Randy interceded. "He'd make a good nomad. He lives most the time in the villages in the rain shadow of the mountains, going from place to place."

"I see," Rezo smiled fractionally. "The people here in Seyruun need a new face, a man to lead them into the forefront of the coming age, a man they can trust, familiar, but not over used. And one that knows the inner working of the cities, not a country bumpkin."

Rezo's smile widened and held, hoping the man seated across from him was following his logic, not that it mattered; he would lead him to the conclusion he wanted. Randy downed his port and poured another glass. His hands didn't tremble, but he spilled a few drops on the table, leaving them for a servant to clean up.

"Someone to replace the king, you mean?" Randy asked.

"Yes, you see it too. Very insightful of you," Rezo said, praising the man.

Randy smiled and sat back deep into his chair, arms at rest, pleased at having earned Cardinal Rezo's esteem. Everyone acknowledged Rezo to be the greatest mind of the century, possibly in all history!

"I put a great deal of thought into whom that man should be. Who had the strength of heart, the determination, and the reputation? I sought out the wisest counsel, seeking the opinions of, to begin with, those who had the most influence."

"The shrine?"

"Nonsense! Everyone expects the shrine to make noises about traditional hierarchy and how the crown is passed according to the laws of the land. That is their job! Therefore no one really listens– it has no novelty whatsoever! No, I sought advisement outside of the shrine and found my man."

"Oh? And who was that?"

Rezo closed his eyes and pressed his thin lips together in order not to scream at the dense man. With great restraint, Rezo said in a clipped manner, "Who would be better than the king's closest adviser, and priest?"

"Me? You mean for me to be the next king then?"

"Wouldn't you like that? All of Seyruun, yours?"

Randy's eyes gleamed. A narrow line of sunlight shone through a crack in the drapery, sending myriads of tiny prisms bouncing off the decanter, one of them hitting Randy right between the eyes and giving him a momentary "touched by the Gods" look.

"Well, yes. I've always thought I shouldn't have to be last in line, and then when both my brothers sired offspring, it put the position way out of my reach."

"Not any longer. The throne is yours for the taking, nearly. We need only carry out a few strategic steps successfully."

"You want me to kill my father, I take it. He trusts me. I can get close to him and I know his weaknesses."

"That is correct. We must devise and execute an infallible plan. Actually, I have the plan; I just require your services. I have some potions, sure to heal, or kill if misapplied. Do you think you can summon up a few men, who will answer to you and not Philionel, and begin preparing tonight?"

"I can, but what of my brothers? How will you eliminate them from inheriting the crown instead of me?"

"I shall set them against each other and they shall eliminate one another and their children as well," Rezo told him.

Randy moved in his chair, leaning on the table closer to Rezo. He was drunk enough to become incautious with his words. "You are the Cardinal, but I wonder if you are a religious man? You speak of murder and breaking the law as I might describe a hunting trip."

A sneer twisted Rezo's handsome face. "The shrine has got the biggest hypocrites of the lot! They condemn people whose lives they don't begin to understand. Our purpose takes us beyond the laws, answerable only to Shabranigdo."

"You mean Cepheid, surely!"

"Him too, possibly," Rezo said, closing his eyes. "I'll have that port now, if you don't mind."

"I'll take a bit more too," Randy said, filling both glasses. "It'll be a dark night's duty, to be sure. Ah, Shabranigdo . . . tell me about that one."

"Where should I begin?" Rezo said, warming the glass in his hands. He sipped his drink while considering what to tell the man.

"Once there was the Lord of Nightmares and she created the world and in it she set two gods. They were like brothers, sharing everything until one day, the Lord of Nightmares took away all their toys, but one. They demanded the return of their toys, but she said 'no,' and left, instructing them to 'play nicely.'

"Well, as brothers do when forced to share that which cannot be divided, they battled furiously over the single toy. Cepheid slaughtered Shabranigdo, cutting him into pieces and sealing his powers, but at the cost of his own life. Their forms were lost to us from that time on, but, as you know as a priest of the Cepheid shrine, the priesthood may still contact the gods, interpret the prophesies of the gods, and provide spiritual insight to the common people, who are unable to contact gods."

"So, Shabranigdo is a brother to Cepheid, our god...making... him like our god too, and not the lord of demon kind?" Randy asked.

"Oh, he is the Demon Lord that makes black magic operate, but that doesn't put us at odds with him. It's a give and take game with these petulant gods. We give them adulation and they give us power. Easy to control, as long as you do things properly."

"And you can communicate with both gods?" Randy asked, appalled one instant and full of admiration for the man the next.

"Naturally. What kind of Cardinal would I be if I wasn't able to talk to both gods? Power evolves out of knowledge. Controlling that power is an art, and the gods are very clever artists. It is I, however, who must be the most skillful to become their master."

Prince Randolph listened closely to the rest of Rezo's advice. He was in awe of the man and knew that when he was crowned King of Seyruun that he would be indebted to him as well. That thought was fleeting, which was unfortunate.

"So, you mentioned a potion I might use? It will kill him sure and appear natural?"

"Success will be indisputable. It is a gift from the gods."

"That's good," Randy said. He rubbed a hand over his face attempting to clear his thinking processes. "I just wonder which god?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not."

"Most certainly it does not. Here, take this vial and follow these directions explicitly."

**End Capriones, Chapter Ten**


	11. Growing Attachments

**_Capriones 8/1/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter 11 -- Growing Attachments**

Xelloss picked up a couple packages and secreted them under his cloak. Task complete, he wandered the aisles until he located Lina who was also strolling through the craft booths. She looked buoyant, waving her arms in an animated manner while showing Amelia and Sylphiel around. He kept his distance and watched her strike a lively conversation with the wine merchant, before moving on to the next booth to catch her fancy. Warmth flooded his senses as he imagined what it might be like to bed a passionate girl like that.

Now, Lina's back was to him as she held one of the shawls she had sorted through earlier, insisting the other girls offer their opinion. They must not have liked the bright orange, because Lina dropped it in favor of watching the craft woman tease threads from soft, woolen cloth's edge to create a fringe for a new shawl. It was a warm, comfortable scene, the girls carefree and relaxed, absorbed in a very feminine world. He was in a hurry to resume Lina's training, but was reluctant to put an end their enjoyment and peace. It was like stealing a kiss, watching her. Lina looked radiantly happy, and it touched Xelloss' soul. He wanted more than a casual encounter, he admitted. He wanted more than possibly she could give him.

"Well, at last I see you without that little show-off girl pantingat your heels."

Xelloss shivered, and thentwisted aroundto face the young woman with the grating voice, holding his staff in front of him as if to block a blow. He checked the smart-aleck remark on the tip of his tongue, preventing her from sucking him into a defensive argument, instead, turning on the charm and greeting her all politeness.

"Hello, Martina. Have you something important on your mind?"

"Just congratulating my darling, sweet cousin on landing a princess." She clamped her arms around him and squeezed.

"Thank you," he replied, and then freeing himself deftly and inching away.

He wished to disappear, to evade this bothersomerelation who was breaking the spell on his magical "Lina moment." He was tempted to strike her with his staff and "land" her, too, like a big flopping, stupid fish. That image amused him enough that his smile broadened until he appeared convincingly pleased to see her. Before she said anything more which might provoke him, he backed up two more steps.

"Where is she, by the way, your princess-bride?"

"Say what? Oh, over there, see? That's where I am going. I have work to do. Haven't you?"

Martina sniffed and started twisting a lock of her hair with a finger. "N-no..."

"Of course you do. Look, there's Zangalus," Xelloss said, pointing with his staff.

Her curls bobbled as she swung around. "Oh?"

"He's fascinated by you."

"He is?"

"Yes! Surprise him. A man loves a woman who saves him the trouble of having to make the first move."

"Really? I was afraid I might be a little too pushy," she said.

"Oh, not at all! Go ahead. Offer him a hair cut or...find him a hat!" Xelloss suggested in rapid succession and then took off as quickly as dignity could permit.

He sidled up to Lina and whispered over her shoulder. "Lina, I'm sorry, but we must go finish your training."

"But–"

"Now," he said firmly, steering her away from her friends. He pulled out the Claire Bible, showing her the title as an additional lure.

"I'll take your dress back for you, Lina," Sylphiel called after her. "Amelia and I will be safe here, besides, we are hardly alone. Gourry's kept us in his sights since we arrived."

Sylphiel asked Xelloss, "Are you having him guard us from your people or the other way around?"

Xelloss replied with a chuckle at his own silliness, "That's a secret!"

Lina pounded him on the back so hard he nearly dropped his staff and the magic book, as she shouted, "I really hate it when you say that!"

"I don't see why he lets her get away with that?" Amelia whispered to Sylphiel.

"Oh, don't you? He must be in love, you know," she replied.

Realizing how inappropriate it was to have implied Xelloss was in love with someone other than his future bride and then to say so to his future bride, Sylphiel quickly added, "With you, of course. He doesn't want to make a scene in front of you over her. Come on, let's go and leave them to their business. I still need help finding a dress for me."

Amelia understood what Sylphiel was trying to do, or undo, and was grateful for her new friend's sensitivity, but Amelia wasn't blind. She was keenly aware of Xelloss' fondness for Lina. She had seen the look of shock come over his face when Sylphiel had spoken. That expression alone led Amelia to believe that Xelloss had been unaware of his transparency, possibly even his feelings for Lina, until that very moment.

Her face fell, reflecting the grief for their romantic tragedy for anyone to read. Amelia bit her lip to stop its trembling. She would let it pass. She had no delusions that Xelloss felt any passion for her or looked forward to their arranged marriage any more than she did. It was a political move, and having grown up in a royal family where duties abound, Amelia was overly familiar with political pressures.

Xelloss watched as Amelia plastered on a weak smile, turned, and moved on with Sylphiel, leaving Lina behind with him. He directed Lina toward the training field with a gesture. Lina and he were both very quiet; Xelloss contrite as they walked side by side. Were his motives so apparent? His attraction for Lina so obvious? He never thought he was one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he had never felt anything even approaching love before, and he wasn't a young man. He should have better control than that. Lina must have sensed his inward-turned mood, and didn't interrupt his thoughts with any of her own. He appreciated it, but would have welcomed a distraction this time.

Determined to obey his mother's orders to the letter this afternoon, he exerted himself thereafter, throwing himself into his work. Lina appeared not to care about, or even notice, his new-found perseverance, satisfied to concentrate on her training to the exclusion of all other conversation. All the effort paid off. Before the afternoon was over, Lina cast her first Ragna Blade spell successfully.

"That's good, but to control it you will need practice," he told her.

"I don't think I can pull off another one without a break."

"Then sit and rest awhile if you need to, but then you must try again, this time carving your initials in those mountains over there."

"The Kathart range? Don't Filia's people live there?" she asked.

"Do they? Well, you'll have to be very careful then," he said wryly.

As if on cue, Filia arrived at the edge of the training field, accompanied by a broody looking Valgaav.

"Speak of the devil..." Xelloss murmured.

"And his handmaiden," Lina finished for him. "Val looks mad, I mean, madder than usual."

Xelloss chuckled. "Isn't that the truth? I was beginning to think it was just him, but now I think it's a general Cepheid thing. You know, they keep everything under wraps, all that emotional pressure fighting to escape and when it does–"

The rest of what he had to say was lost in the raised voices of Valgaav and Filia as they closed in. Valgaav told him what Filia had said; Filia corrected him and annotated along the way. Both. At once. It was a wonder Xelloss could follow the conversation at all, but he did. When they had spent themselves, Xelloss cleared his throat.

"Oh, my . . . I see, and so, you would like to know if Filia is telling the truth? Is that right, Valgaav?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then go back and find Zelgadiss. Bring him here, but tell him first that he'll be asked to perform a shaman truth test."

"A what?" Filia snarled.

Valgaav, however, loped off, intent on his destination and not Filia's resentment, leaving Xelloss to deal with her.

"Oh, it won't hurt. I promise," Xelloss assured her, ducking to avoid Filia's enraged fists.

"And you tell me that based on what specific personal experience? Has he ever tried it on you?"

"Well, the opportunity hasn't actually arisen."

"He hasn't, has he?" Filia pressed, her mace appearing out of nowhere.

"Where did that come from?" Xelloss asked.

"Don't change the subject, you conniving sneak!" Filia shrieked. "You want me to just let that accursed freak perform some hocus-pocus on me that wrenches open my soul, revealing my innermost secrets to the world!"

"Eh, Filia, I think you're getting a little worked up for nothing here," Lina said, interrupting her friend's rant. "Shamanism isn't that invasive for one thing and it's just us here, not the world, for another."

Filia was not appeased. "That's easy for you to say. He's not shamanizing you!"

"I don't think 'shamanizing' is a real word," Xelloss put in.

"No? Well, Mr. Thesaurus, is there a word for 'killing the prince of thieves', huh?"

Xelloss was confused about the 'thesaurus' insult, not knowing what a synonym was much less why one would need a book of them, but he understood the threat. Taking objection to her tone,he grew angry, his staff sparking with his ire.

"No, but there is a word for insolent Cepheid cows," he snapped, and then paused, waiting for her undivided attention.

"Xelloss," Lina growled in a warning tone.

"Fodder!" he finished, countering Filia's expected move, batting away her mace, turning on his heal and blocking it again, and again.

"If you were a clever as you think you are, the man wouldn't look the way he does," Filia said with a swipe of her mace.

"What you do mean by that?" Xelloss asked, blocking the blow.

"If you knew the difference between 'anecdote' and 'antidote' your friend or brother or whatever the guy is to you would be cured!"

"Hey! That's not fair! I know the difference!"

Lina found a place to sit in the grass and made herself comfortable. That Ragna Blade had used up her energy reserves like no other spell she had ever cast. She pulled a stalk of grass from a clump and settled to chewing on it and gazing out over the pastoral vista. She knew ill feelings had been brewing between the two since they had arrived and believed that all they needed was to work it out. Fighting was as good a way as any, better than talk, since their noisy bickering was irritating and while fighting the two were mostly quiet. Just the occasional grunt and groan, and a nice breeze, rustling the last remaining dry leaves, and a few twittering birds overhead to put her to sleep. Lina was awakened from her slumber by the sound of a voice nearby.

"When you're done playing," Zelgadiss said to Xelloss and Filia, his tone dry as toast. "I'd like to get on with this so I can get back to my dark tent."

Filia broke off her pointless attack as if to adjust her headdress, a part of her priestess costume she was most proud of, pretending it had been just an exercise. Xelloss smoothed out his hair and smiled with pride, delighted to have avoided any contact with her mace, circumventing the girl's blows with ease.

"Zelgadiss!" he said. "Good. Valgaav's explained the problem I'm sure. So, well, go ahead. Do your thing. Lina? You might be interested in this."

Lina rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, sure."

She turned her attention to Zelgadiss who stood nearly touching Filia, his eyes closed, concentrating completely on what he was about to do next. She watched as his lips moved first, whispering words she couldn't understand, then his body followed, moving, dance-like, slowly circling Filia, who was standing, arms crossed and frowning.

When a sheen surrounded her in a bluish patina and began to glow, Filia reacted.

"Ach! What's happening to me? What's he doing?" Filia screeched.

"Does it hurt?" Xelloss asked.

"Well, no, but–"

"Then shut up. Please."

Zelgadiss had stopped moving.

"He's smiling. What does that mean?" Filia asked, panic in her voice, her eyes wide.

"I have no idea. If it were me, I'd say I was about to watch you die a slow and grisly-- Ouch!" Xelloss cried out, more from surprise than pain.

"Knock it off!" demanded Lina after landing a punch to his mid section.

Zelgadiss pretended to ignore them. He reached out, placing both hands on Filia's shoulders. She was tall, but he was taller. Her mouth opened to say something, when he shook his head, eyes on hers.

"Tell me, was what you told Valgaav true, about his past, the death of his people by the command of Rezo; that is, as far as your understanding goes?"

Filia nodded, saying, "Yes, of course! What do you take me for? I have no reason to lie. I have plenty of convincing reasons to give him for joining our fight. Lies aren't necessary, in fact, they are the root of all evil."

She broke eye contact with Zelgadiss and looked directly at Valgaav, who was standing a little off to the side. "Everything I said, I meant."

Valgaav felt the heat rise to his face, remembering that she had said several kind and flattering things to him, and knowing that those were the words she was referring to now.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask her?" Zelgadiss asked Valgaav.

"Me, me!" Xelloss popped up. "I have a question."

Lina yanked on his staff, getting his attention. When he looked back and saw her frowning face, he smiled sheepishly, murmuring, "Guess not. Carry on."

Valgaav shook his head and said, "No."

"Okay, then," Zelgadiss said, passing his hands over and around Filia again, dispersing the magical barrier as he moved. "I'm done. She passes, by the way."

"Just as I said," Filia said, sniffing indignantly.

Xelloss looked back toward the camp and at the lengthening shadows.

"We haven't much time until the celebration tonight and we still have some decisions to make before tomorrow, when we'll be too busy."

"You certainly will be," Filia said.

Xelloss let out his breath, exasperated by this frustratingly, annoying woman. Still, she had her uses and she was a dear friend of Lina's, so he pursed his lips to hold back the cutting reply he had constructed.

"I am sending Gourry to accompany Lina back to Seyruun, where she will meet with Prince Philionel and bring him up to date on current events-- personally," Xelloss said. "Zel, I may have been wrong about the Claire Bible. Gourry told me that Sylphiel and Amelia are gifted white magic healers and that Sylphiel can also employ some black magic. She thinks she can cure you. I want you to try with every possible tool, so I'm lending her the book. Don't let Zelas discover that I have, understand?"

Xelloss waved off any interruptions, and went on talking.

"Valgaav, I give you permission to leave. Take Filia with you and meet with her leader, Milgasia. Milgasia and I go back a long way, and although we have been on opposite sides of many fights, I'd like to stand united against the common enemy. It is Rezo's intention to wipe out all the Cepheid magic users. We all need to band together to defeat him, and to do that we must cooperate. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Xelloss searched the hooded golden eyes for an answer. He knew he was asking Valgaav to make the choice to follow him or Zelas, and that obeying him would go against Zelas' wishes, or so it would be a reasonable assumption. She had not ordered Valgaav to remain on the settlement at all times, but neither had she ever given him permission to leave unaccompanied by another Caprione of high standing. Xelloss was giving him his freedom. What Valgaav would do with it would be entirely up to him.

"I'm thinking," Valgaav said.

"Let me fill you in on a few secrets so we are all on the same footing here," Xelloss said, desperate to have this over and done with. "Zelas wants Lina's power in the clan. Now that's she's here, Zelas doesn't want her to go. My job has been to watch, train, and eventually to lead her in the attack on Rezo."

"You are going to attack Rezo?" Filia asked. "Where?"

"Here. He is coming here to wipe this settlement off the map," he replied seriously.

"But why come here? This is such a small place?"

"I think he has come or will soon come to the conclusion that we are hiding something, maybe two or three 'somethings' that he has been searching for. He is looking for Lina, an accomplished sorceress who is able to impede his progress. He wants to get back a magical implement he lost, an indispensable power enhancing stone. Rumor has it, he suspects bandits have it, or us."

"Have you got it?" Filia asked.

"Of course!" Xelloss said, chuckling.

Xelloss continued, "Rezo is also afraid that Zelgadiss is our captive and still alive and gathering a following. Zelgadiss knows what kind of man Rezo is and he can expose Rezo's true nature, which is of a sorcerer aiming to rule the world single handedly. You see, by saving Amelia and usurping Rezo's position, and I don't mean the shrine leadership job, but as the head of the noble Greywords family, Zelgadiss would the hold the highest ranking position in Atlas City and have the Kingdom of Seyruun beholden to him."

"You certainly know a lot about Rezo's plans. I find that rather suspicious."

"Filia," Xelloss said with an exasperated sigh, "Zelas' spies have been working hard bringing us the latest news."

"Oh, really. So then, where is Rezo now? You can't possibly not know that!" Filia charged.

"Actually, we do. He is in Seyruun. The city hasn't fallen yet, but it stands on the precipice of change, its downfall being very, very bad for us all," Xelloss said.

"And sending Lina there helps? She might get captured! Don't you care?"

"I care, but I have confidence in both her and Gourry, in their abilities to stay out of harm's way and to convince the prince of Rezo's danger. I also want to make Amelia's situation clear to him. I don't want him attacking us to save her because we botched that."

"You mean Zelas botched it," Filia said under her breath.

Xelloss dared not look at Lina for fear that his emotions concerning her become patently obvious. Instead, he returned his focus to Valgaav.

"Val, you must decide soon, tonight even."

"What if I say no?"

"Then I'll have to send Filia alone to beg for Milgasia's help, not a situation to bring the Cepheid forces to our gate."

"Alone?"

"I owe it to Zelgadiss to have the two white magic healers remain with him and attempt his cure, and if I went, well, Milgasia would get the wrong idea completely."

"Not to mention you are getting married and will probably be expected to remain in camp overnight," Lina said, adding, "Or could a trip to a Cepheid hangout be considered a bachelor party?"

Valgaav's eyes burned into Xelloss'. If he left, his chances with Zelas would be over, most likely. He looked resentful, but determined when he said at last, "When Filia goes, I'll go, but I won't promise I'll be coming back."

Xelloss nodded, saying, "I understand, but I hope you do, and that you come leading your people to victory over Rezo."

"We'll see," Valgaav said.

**End Capriones Chapter Eleven.**


	12. Surface Emotions

**_Capriones 8/4/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twelve -- Surface Emotions**

As Xelloss had predicted, the evening brought a drastic cooling of the temperature. Lina would need the cloak he had promised her, he mused, hoping she would like his family heirloom. He could see her face in his mind. He would like to have spoken to her for hours, not just instructed her in magic and conducted a séance with that stupid Cepheid woman. He would have told her things he had seen and done which would bring the flash of interest to her face, intrigue her with the mystery and reality of his world. He would like to amuse her. But the upcoming events and festivities, beset with emotions and mushrooming out of his control, weighed heavily on his mind.

Time was growing short and he had nothing of certainty yet to go against the forces of Rezo should they– no, _when_ they attacked his camp. He hadn't taught Lina to fully control the Ragna Blade spell, and he wasn't sure she was ready to do so, yet it was his only hope. To hold off Rezo would take his mother's entire strength; it would take the combined magic of the rest of them to bring down Rezo and Vurumagen and his allied magic users and Red Guard army.

Would Lina and Gourry be successful? Would Prince Phil send his armies to help the kidnappers of his daughter?

Would Valgaav be welcomed as a leader to his people? Did he have what it took to lead people for a cause? Was he more than just ego and ambition? Did he have a social conscience? Would Milgasia and Filia be able to convey the sense of urgency and convince Milgasia to give up his own command in favor of some upstart? And would Filia's people want help to the Caprione settlement?

Was it possible to cure Zelgadiss, giving him the confidence to oppose his grandfather and led the resurrection against him?

"How, the hell should I know? I'm not some stupid fortune teller!" Xelloss spit out in frustration in answer to his own endless stream of questions.

He was bound by traditions, restrictions; he was unable to act on his own; he was dependent on working through others to achieve his goals. Xelloss slapped the magic book onto his mattress, feeling his fury mounting, and wrapped it slapdash in a marvelous black lace shawl his mother had discarded. He had been so damned intent on including his friends in his plans that he was losing track of little details, and important ones. He'd forgotten to give the book to Sylphiel earlier. He needed to see Zelgadiss and resolve his timing issues, whatever they were. He wanted to see Lina, privately. From his satchel he wrested another, smaller parcel and summoned a servant.

"These go to Princess Amelia," Xelloss told the boy, thrusting both packages into his hands. "Make certain she understands that she is to wear this necklace tonight."

"Yes, Prince. Anything else?"

"I was going to deliver this to Lina, but since you are going that way..." Xelloss trailed off not bothering to finish his instructions. He draped the heavy black cloak over the boy's arms and turned away.

"I'll see to it that these reach the right people," the boy said understanding that his master had his own personal burden to carry for the settlement.

"Oh, thanks," Lina said, plucking the bundles from the young boy's arms.

"Ah..." he said, gulping for the right words to say to her.

"I wonder if Xelloss wants me to keep this shawl too? Wow, nice stuff."

"It's..."

Lina discarded the beautiful shawl before he could dissuade her from unwrapping it. "What's this? A book?"

"Um," the poor, frightened boy muttered. "Those are for the princess. This is for you."

He offered up the cloak. Lina accepted it, jostling the book and present into the other hand. While Lina was distracted, Amelia extricated the small parcel from her grip. After all, it was intended for her.

"Yeah, great. This cape's cut from the same cloth as his. Quality stuff. You can go now," Lina said, dismissing the messenger boy. "We're getting dressed, can't you see?"

Amelia thanked the boy for delivering her gift from Xelloss. With a nervous smile he repeated what Xelloss had said.

"The prince wants you to wear it today. He was very...firm."

"Of course,' Amelia murmured and the boy dashed from the tent.

Sylphiel had plucked the shawl off the floor and was fingering the soft cloth longingly when she spied the magic book. The shawl slipped forgotten from her fingers, puddling on the floor.

"That book! Oh, Lina, is that the dark magic spell book Xelloss said we could use?"

Lina grinned and said, "Yeah. Well, let's just take a look and find out what's in it for me first."

Her fingers found a dog-eared page, and she scanned the page.

"Ragna Blade? Oh, this is what he was driving at, eh? Yeah, that would help me get a better handle on it. Oh, wow . . . what's this? I thought this was just a rumor. Giga Slave. Thank you, Xelly."

"Giga Slave!" Sylphiel cried out. "That's too dangerous. It will destroy the entire world, Lina!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what it says here, too. I was just kidding. I'm not gonna use it."

"What book's that?" Filia asked.

Lina checked the cover, reading aloud, "Claire Bible of Dark Magic."

"May I see?" Sylphiel asked. "Amelia and I were working out an incantation to break Zelgadiss' enchantment. It's not complete, though. Oh, but we came up with an idea of the kind of spell we could use– if I can find it. The book's so thick."

"Oh, yeah. Xelloss said something about that. You guys think you can cure Zel, huh? Good luck. Here, take it. I may want another look at that, though."

"Gourry must have told Xelloss. I'm glad he remembered." Sylphiel looked around for Amelia, asking, "Amelia, what kind of spell did you say we needed?"

"Oh, I'm not certain," Amelia said, her voice wavering.

Lina turned to face Amelia, who was holding a necklace laden with gold coins and gemstones close to her throat. Lina recognized what it was at once; it had it be the necklace Xelloss had offered Prince Phil with his proposal for Amelia's hand in marriage. When had that arrived? Lina knew Xelloss hadn't received it with the messenger boy earlier. It was stunning and priceless, or nearly. Certainly it was worth a lot. A bride's price for a princess, and Lina wanted it to be hers, desperately; never mind that the ruby and gold amulets she was wearing were far more valuable. She continued to stare, transfixed by the jewelry.

"I was afraid Gourry forgot to pass on what I'd said. He's very nice, but--" Sylphiel started to say.

"Not the sharpest needle in the case," Filia said, completing her sentence. "I've noticed. He knows his sword play, though. Anyway, Xelloss said Gourry mentioned it to him– that was when Zelgadiss was testing my words for lies. Don't get me started on that! Anyway, Xelloss seemed to think you had a chance. Odd... I wonder why he never tried himself. He seems to be able to control magic."

Amelia moved out of the shadows, feeling Lina' eyes on her, speaking out, "Prince Xelloss isn't able to use white magic healing spells. The Claire Bible won't teach him that either; it only contains subject matter in the dark arts."

"Ooooh, Amelia, that necklace is gorgeous!" Sylphiel squealed. "Where did that come from?"

Amelia suddenly felt shy with all the eyes on her, in particular, Lina's looking positively green with envy, but she was a future crowned head of a kingdom, so she smiled bravely.

Filia frowned at Lina and drew closer, whispering privately, "There's no reason to let a piece of frippery divide us."

"Prince Xelloss sent it to me. He says I'm to wear it tonight to show I-I'm taken."

But for all her training, Amelia was just a frightened, heartbroken girl. Her eyes welled up and she sniffed back tears threatening to erupt. Filia's words had the right effect on Lina, because she kept her mouth shut. Sylphiel picked up the beautiful shawl, which had been the book's wrapping and draped it over Amelia's shoulders.

"He meant for you to have this, too. I'm sure."

Amelia nodded and thanked her, after which they all gathered around Amelia, commiserating with her for a few moments, until Lina could no longer withhold saying what was on her mind. The shiny necklace wasn't the only Xelloss-related issue growing between them, but it had become the focus for bad feelings. Lina believed that Amelia should stand up for herself and just do as she liked.

"You are a princess, for gods'sakes! If you both defy Zelas, the wedding won't happen– I don't care what Xelloss says. I don't think she would put to death her eldest son, who's also the next in line to rule her people. You should have the right to choose who you marry, and this is obviously a sham, a political arrangement that's going to cause more problems that Zelas thinks it solves."

Lina nearly told her that she believed her father might actually be opposed to the marriage, but decided that if she was wrong she would double the trouble and inflict more pain. She had lost her train of thought, however, so she just spoke from her heart.

"I mean, you and Zelgadiss are meant for each other," Lina continued. "Xelloss isn't...right for you. It seems plain and simple to me."

Amelia shrugged, and then said, somewhat coldly, "Of course that's not the way it is. The higher one's calling, the more one must obey one's orders. You were not born to the aristocracy, Miss Lina, let alone royalty. Prince Xelloss understands this, and he is Caprione. We both must do our duty."

Amelia met Lina's wide eyes, and softened her tone with a generous smile.

"You see, Miss Lina, that is your charm. You offer Prince Xelloss a kind of freedom he has never known. To Queen Zelas, however, you are a tool to use in her fight against Cardinal Rezo, albeit sometimes I think you are a selfish and ultimately dangerous tool."

The truth stung Lina, but Amelia was so despondent that even Lina wanted to give her a hug and wish her well. What was not said hung over them, and that was that Xelloss was meant for Lina, and not Amelia.

The girls continued to get dressed, helping one another fixing their hair, offering suggestions, and eventually goofing around to clear the air of its sorry mood. It wasn't long before the conversation returned to the young men they had been with recently.

"Valgaav's nice, once he's apart from Xelloss," Sylphiel said. "Or so Gourry tells me."

"He is, isn't he?" Filia said, brightening. Catching herself from unintentionally revealing her well-sealed interest in him, she looked away. "But he's very stubborn."

"And handsome, don't you think, Filia?" Sylphiel asked.

She was baiting her friend into opening up, suspecting some kind of attraction growing between the couple.

"Yes," Filia admitted, avoiding saying too much. "And I'll find out more about him as a person when we leave tomorrow."

Amelia and Sylphiel wanted to hear more, but Filia looked for Lina's consent before divulging the secret plans. Lina had restrained her greedy nature in an acceptable manner, Filia felt. Forgiving Lina her weaknesses and recognizing her strengths, she told the others, "Lina's our leader on this mission. It's up to her to decide how much we should all know."

Lina thought Filia could get a little uppity at times, but her heart was strong and her determination invaluable, so she forgave her. "Go ahead, tell them everything," Lina said. "We're still a team and well do better having all the plans out in the open."

Filia smiled and began explaining her plans for Valgaav and the Cepheid people. "Which means he and I are going to be busy planning and packing tonight so we can make a quick getaway after the wedding. Mostly, I think he wants to avoid a confrontation with Zelas. Even with Xelloss' permission to leave, he's uncomfortable about it. I suggested that he tell Zelas what we're going to do, well not everything, just the part about bringing Cepheid forces to help along the border with Seyruun, further if needed, all the way to the settlement if Rezo's attacking. I can't see that she'd object to that."

"Sounds okay, unless Zelas wants Valgaav at her personal beck and call," Lina said.

"Which he had been satisfied doing, until today. Now he has to prove his manly qualities somehow with Gourry going with you as your strapping guardian and Zel agreeing to lead what sounds like some wildly romantic kind of revolution from Atlas City, or whatever, right after you cure him."

"If we do," Sylphiel said softly.

"Oh, I know we will, Miss Sylphiel. I just know it!" Amelia cried out. "Then he can take his rightful place in the Atlas City leadership."

"What kind of position is that? King?" Filia asked.

"Oh, no! He wouldn't want that. He wants elected officials who represent the people to lead. He won't be just a figurehead either," Amelia said, uncertain exactly what role he had envisioned for himelf.

Lina took over telling them about her proposed trip with Gourry, promising to collect her companions' belongings left behind when they took the job to rescue the princess. She even offered to deliver a note from Amelia to her father. She noticed, however, that it was Sylphiel who looked the most affected by the plans.

"Hey, don't look so glum, Sylph," Lina said lightly.

"Me? I'm not . . . glum. I'm worried for you, that's all."

"Uh, huh." Lina leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, "I'll take care of Gourry and bring him back hale and healthy, I promise."

Sylphiel looked at her, eyes wide, a blush rushing to her cheeks.

"Come on, Sylphiel," Filia said. "You don't think you've been hiding your feelings for Gourry from us, do you?"

Amelia giggled and joined in the fun, saying, "He likes you, too. He asked me what your favorite color was. I think he bought you something to wear tonight."

"Oh," Sylphiel said, smiling with pleasure. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him that you loved the color of his eyes," Amelia said, her eyes twinkling with humor. "And he turned bright red and smiled. That's how I know he likes you!"

Bored now that she wasn't the center of attention Lina threw the cloak over her dark red dress, attached the magic clasp haphazardly, then asked, "How do I look? Like a sorceress?"

"Oh yes, Miss Lina. Like a sorceress supreme!" Amelia said.

"All right then, I'm ready. Let's go."

Sylphiel was last to leave, deciding not to wear anything over her new dress, just in case Gourry had bought her a shawl, which seemed like an appropriate gift. She left the tent lips smiling, eyes aglow, and step light.

(o)

The party celebrating the engagement and upcoming nuptials of Prince Xelloss and the Princess of Seyruun began with the setting of the sun. The band had collected on a broad, wood pier, which extended along the lake side and out into the water. It was used for a bandstand and little else, since the Capriones never fished or boated. Atop the pier posts were torches, their flames reflecting in the still water, fragmented into sparks of fire by the wakes of passing geese. The air was cool and crisp, and the night wind, soft on the face.

The musicians' captivating and lively tunes inspired the folks to leap up and dance, and if Lina had known the steps, Xelloss was certain she would have joined in. She was tapping her foot in time with the rhythm, her eyes blazing with excitement. Xelloss thought she looked lovely in a dress, rather young and feminine, but he didn't tell her that.

Xelloss cut a good figure himself. Black became him. He was of a good height and had a curious lean grace which he knew women envied and men found more attractive than they entirely wished. He was standing very close to her. He could feel the warmth of her body; her soft curls faintly tickled his face, and the perfume of her seemed to be everywhere. The noise and the glitter swirled around him, but he was islanded alone with her in the shadows. It was hard to focus his attention back to the subject of magic, so he gave up.

"Do you dance?" he asked her. "I don't care whether you do or not. If you don't, then I shall teach you. First you must have some wine, then you will forget the outside world and think only of me."

His effort was unnecessary; she was already thinking only of him anyway. His arms embraced her and he looked into her eyes only a moment before he bent lower and kissed her on the mouth. Lina leaned in, enjoying the warmth, heady with the magic in the air and with the emotions flooding her mind. She felt his hands moving over her and the kiss deepen. It felt wonderful to her. She even felt a twinge of irritation when his lips drew back for him to speak.

"You know what I want, Lina," he whispered in her ear. "You know what I'm asking for."

He nuzzled her neck with his face, breathing in her scent, tickling her ear with his breath. Although Lina was young, she was experienced enough with the ways of men to know the signs of arousal, and Xelloss, she knew, was getting worked up. Not that she minded so much, but it wasn't right. He was taking his flirting too far. He was promised to someone else, a girl she could call a friend now, and Lina was not one to share anything, especially a man like Xelloss. She squirmed and pushed him back with difficulty.

"Stop it! I mean it, Xelloss. Stop!"

He loosed his hold but kept her in his arms.

Looking a trifle confused he asked, "What is it Lina?"

"Listen, you want to use me as a puppet to get Rezo. I get that, and agreed to that, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you use me as a hanky-panky plaything as well!"

She fought to free herself from his arms entirely. Hot tears welled in the corners of her eyes, which she wiped off with the backs of her hands irritably. She was so obviously hurt and mad and losing control. Her sudden mood swing surprised him and her words caught him completely off guard. Xelloss dropped his arms and stepped backwards.

"You are not a toy of mine. You can't think that I value you so little as that?"

Lina drew a deep, shuddering breath before saying, "Well, what do you call a girl who sleeps with a man the night before he gets married to another woman, huh? I was being nice because I was talking about myself, but there are certainly more colorful words I could have used."

He was utterly stunned as he watched her turn abruptly on her heal and stomp off. He hadn't thought about his behavior from that perspective. He had not thought about the wedding as anything meaningful at all, and for that reason he was deeply disturbed and embarrassed. How could he be so stupid! He hadn't shared his plans with her, so how could he expect her to feel?

Xelloss was acutely aware of how he felt about Lina. He could honestly say he loved her. He loved the excitement he felt in her company, the quickening of his pulse, the delicious sense of heightened enjoyment in everything from good food and good music to the humor and intelligence of her conversation, and also the envy and fear he saw in other men's eyes when they looked at him.

He had never before felt his passions near to overwhelming him. It was nearly impossible for him to quell the mixture of thwarted love, lust, and anger tearing at his mind. He was glad he had left his staff in his tent or he would have broken it over his knee.

He heard a footfall and the clearing of a throat and knew he had company. It was all he could do not to blast the invader before finding out whom it was.

**End Capriones, Chapter Twelve.**


	13. Promises to Keep

**_Capriones 8/4/2006_**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirteen -- Promises to Keep**

"Xelloss," Zelgadiss said. "I was looking for you."

"Gods... it's you, Zelgadiss," he said huskily, glad he'd stayed his hand and not walloped his friend. "I, ah, just had a terrible meeting with Lina. She's quite upset with me and I . . . am barely civil, sorry. I'm not even certain that there is anything that I can do about it either."

"I can go talk to her."

"Would you?" Xelloss' voice was taut with tension as he added, "Find out anything you can about her, but be careful... She's very temperamental tonight."

"I'll keep that in mind," Zelgadiss said.

"You came about something?"

"Just a timing issue about tomorrow. It can wait," Zel assured him. He tried to catch Xelloss' eyes, but the man kept his face in the dark, so he just said, "You could just tell her the truth."

Xelloss turned his back to him without answering, giving Zelgadiss no choice but to take his leave and go in search of Lina. If Xelloss thought he could work out his issues alone now, he was wrong. There was another person wishing to meet with him, and as Zelgadiss passed her, he bowed slightly and quickened his pace.

(O)

Gourry wandered for several minutes, and then sighted his quarry standing alone by the food. His entire countenance lit up; his eyes shone bright blue and his mouth stretched into a wide smile. He checked his pockets, and when a paper crinkled in one he was satisfied; he was all set to conduct business. With his long legs Gourry loped off, covering the ground quickly. He was humming along to the distant music with a confidence built of high hopes, but then nearly lost his nerve when he actually came face to face with his target.

"Um, hi, Sylphiel. Ah, sorry I wasn't here when you arrived, but I had something to do first," he said.

"That's okay. I haven't been here long," she said, hugging her arms in the chilling air.

It didn't look to her as if he'd brought her a cape or shawl to wear.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She shook her head, disappointed. "Not yet. Maybe later."

"You okay? You look kinda sad?" he asked, a line of worry creasing his brow beneath his tousled bangs.

"I'm worried, Gourry. You are leaving tomorrow after the wedding, with Lina," she said.

"Ah, yeah, but I'm coming right back. You'll wait for me, won'tcha?"

Sylphiel smiled shyly and looked down at her hands. She noticed him fidgeting with something in his hands, a small packet, and shivered.

"Of course," she said. "I wouldn't have anywhere else to go, not with Lina and Filia gone. Amelia and I will be attempting to cure Zelgadiss, you know. And, thank you for getting Xelloss to help us. He has lent us a copy of the Claire Bible."

Gourry returned a frank expression of pleasure, appreciating her compliment, and saying, "Wasn't much. I hope you can help Zel."

He shifted his feet and moved closer, wisps of his long blond hair mixing with her equally long black hair.

"Your home was destroyed, wasn't it?" he asked.

Sylphiel started. She hadn't expected him to say that at all.

"Yes, Sairaag is gone. There is nothing for me to go back to."

Gourry produced the gift, tiny in his hand.

"It's for you. Go ahead, open it."

"Oh dear . . ." Sylphiel gasped as she unfolded the paper wrapping, revealing a ring bearing a star sapphire larger than her little fingernail. "It's . . . it's so . . . beautiful. Oh, Gourry, it's much too fine a gift, really."

Before she could return it, he folded her fingers around the ring and enclosed her hands in his. He felt her tremble as he held her hands gently and waited for her eyes to meet his.

"Would you consider staying here? Making this your home?" He swallowed, nearly choking, then added, "With me?"

"Gourry . . . are you asking me to marry you?"

"Well, yeah," he answered cautiously, releasing his grip and freeing her hands.

She jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck, and kissing him on the lips. He laughed at her happiness and she laughed with him and somewhere in all that joy there was a sincerely spoken "yes," accepting his proposal. Lost in Gourry's embrace, Sylphiel would no longer notice the nip in the night air.

(O)

Rodimus and Zolf paused, the road stretching into the distance to either side of them.

"So," the older man said as he read from the guidebook in his hands. "Where do you wanna go now? Checkout the natural hot springs with 'fragrant healing vapors and homemade ale?' or... we can tour a cave 'filled with breathtaking stalagtites?'"

Zolf ran a finger along his dark moustache while he pondered the question. "I think... the cave. Lina's less likely to visit that. No hint of hidden magic there."

"Or comforts," Rodimus put in. "Okay with me. Cave it is then, but after this we ought to head back to Atlas City and rouse the insurgents on Master Zelgadiss' behalf."

"Yeah, Rezo's like as not to run out of patience with us and attack the Caprione camp. Mr. Zelgadiss will need his supporters."

Rodimus hitched up his pants and straightened his belt. "Cave's in the right direction, too, then."

(0)

Amelia watched Zelgadiss scamper away before she stepped forward to where Xelloss stood, his back rigid with tension. She entered the shadowy light cast by the overhead lanterns hanging in the tree, clearing her throat politely.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding. You're so quiet and alone right now and I wanted to thank you for the gifts you sent. The necklace is unique. Is it an heirloom?"

With his anguish and confusion put under wraps, Xelloss successfully harnessed his emotions, which had been threatening his ability to think. Later, in private, he could indulge in self-pity.

"My princess," he said in a low voice.

He hazarded a look into her wide, unguarded, gray-blue eyes, discovering for the first time how very pretty she was, and how young, just a child.

"You are quite welcome and yes, the necklace is very old."

He ran his fingers through the soft fringe near her arms.

"The shawl looks lovely on you. It was my mother's, but it far better looking on you with your black hair."

"Oh, thank you," she said. "I'm glad I have it tonight."

"How old are you, Amelia?" he asked suddenly.

"I'll be sixteen next month, and you?" Well-trained in court courtesy, her voice remained calm as if she had expected him to ask her questions out of the blue.

"Thirty-five," he replied with a wry smile. "Does that sound old to you?"

"Yes . . . I mean, no, not really. You just look so much younger, that's all."

"No, it's not all, actually. I am old, by Caprione standards, to be marrying for the first time. Gourry is twenty-five and Zelgadiss not quite twenty. Valgaav won't say, but I think he is in his early twenties. Mother will be happy to see us all settled down."

"Parents always do. They also want to see us happy as well."

"Do they? Is that how it is in your world?" he asked.

"I think so, although it doesn't often turn out that way. Sometimes I think it only happens the way I want it to in fairytales."

"Fairytales, yes." He smiled dreamily and shook his head. "I want to make those fairytales come true. For you and me and all our friends. Wouldn't that be nice? Would you like that?"

She frowned a little, and then said, "You are talking down to me now. That is not fair. I was trying to answer honestly."

"I was being truthful as well, Miss Amelia. I really do mean to make everything turn out right. Just like in a fairytale; wait and see."

Amelia's retort was cut off by another intruding upon their privacy.

"Oh, how sweet. The lovely couple," Zelas said.

Zelas walked slowly to meet them, holding a cold glass of wine to her forehead. "I have the most terrible headache, so I'm going to miss the rest of the party."

"I'm sorry," Xelloss said. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No," Zelas said.

She studied his face for a moment, completely ignoring Amelia. "Do you think it's wise to send Valgaav away to a Cepheid camp?"

"If you are asking if I think he'll come back, I believe he will, leading the tribes against Rezo. We spoke and I believe he has something to prove to himself. If you are worried about his endurance, well, I'm not. My concern is for the Capriones and our survival, not for the individual, not for him. If he offends them and gets himself killed or imprisoned, then that's too bad, but not my problem. Alternatively, if he finds that he likes leadership and has found a people who will follow him, and if he wishes to leave us and live as he was born, in the Cepheid world, then I think that's a superb setup for him. All in all, I think there's a better chance for him to do us some service that way then resting on his laurels around here."

"Yes, how clever of you, my dear. You get your rival out of the way and in a single, expeditious move, you save your people."

"Rival? Valgaav's never been my equal, and as far as my position is concerned, he never understood the game to begin with much less been a contestant. He hasn't cared about anything deeply enough to follow through with what it takes to get what he wants, until now. I think Miss Filia has impressed him, however, and has given him a meaningful cause to fight for."

"Oh, well," Zelas said, sighing. "I shall miss his attentiveness."

"You'll find another man. You always do," Xelloss said.

"Oh," she said with a dazzling smile, "He and I aren't lovers, my dear. Nothing like that at all."

"Is that so?" Xelloss asked, making his disbelief obvious.

"Don't presume to know my secrets, darling," she said. She turned as if to leave, but hesitated and asked, "I suppose you did that to even the score?"

Xelloss' burning stare could have penetrated anyone else's skin, sizzling past flesh and blood, scorching bone until the heart was contacted, roasted, and vaporized, but it didn't even faze Zelas' smile. She continued speaking.

"It really was too bad. Had the little sorceress been a princess of Seyruun, we wouldn't have needed this one."

She patted his cheek, laughing, then left the afflicted couple. Xelloss was shaking with anger at his mother's ill-mannered attack, and for Amelia's humiliation.

"I am . . . sorry for her rudeness. There is no justification for it, except to say that she's just an angry old woman. I wish I could offer you some solace in the matter, Miss Amelia, but I'm afraid I must leave immediately. Zelgadiss, however, has offered to attend to you in my absence. I can see him near the refreshments. Would you like me to walk you over?"

"No, thank you. I see he's talking to Miss Lina now. I'll find out how Miss Sylphiel is first. Go on. I'll be fine."

Xelloss excused himself to try to arrange his thoughts, to think about the rest of his mission, which he was neglecting, and to make his dreams, and Amelia's dreams, come true. If only he understood how to go about fixing things with Lina without unravelling his plans..

**End Capriones Chapter Thirteen.**


	14. Confusing Feelings

**_Capriones 8/4/2006_**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Fourteen -- Confusing Feelings **

It wasn't by accident thatZelgadiss walked intoLina's path; he was looking for her and parked himself between her and the food. Sooner or later, he knew, she would wend her way to partake of the feast. Lina wasn't aware of where she was going until she bumped into Zelgadiss. Her thoughts were solely concentrated on her encounter with Xelloss. She could kick herself for being infatuated with him. She didn'tchoose no-win situations, and there was no way in hell that she could win this one. Her arms tingled from histouches, and his kiss was still burning on her lips.

"Get the hell outta my way," she said tartly.

"You're in a mood," he said. "Want to talk about it?"

She gave him a scorching glare. "Do I look like I wanna talk?"

Zelgadiss deftly shrugged off her attack. No one could beat him for sullenness; especially some pretty and talented girl with no right to be feeling sorry for herself.

"You look in need of a friend," he said.

"Did Xelloss send his lapdog to clean up after him again? Ehhhh... Don't bother answering that."

As she turned to leave, Zelgadiss threw up a light spell, which lit her path and cast her shadow behind her. In his next incantation, he pinned her shadow to the ground.

"Whaaa!" she cried out.

"When you are ready to be civil, I'll take you somewhere where we can speak privately; until then, you can stand here."

"You're more than just a shaman; you know magic, too," she said, amazed, all the while attempting to tug free of the spell. She knew no counter spell.

"You would have known that had you paid attention out on the training field. I used quite a bit. It is because I am a shaman that I can cast the Ra Tilt," he added with no little pride.

It was a very powerful and dangerous spell that targeted a person's mind instead of their body. Lina couldn't cast it, for instance, so she was impressed.

Chagrined, she let out a sigh, saying, "Listen, I'm sorry for the dig before. I have no beef with you, and I don't usually go around insulting . . . friends. I'm really in a bad mood tonight."

"Come with me, then," he said, releasing the spells and leading her by the elbow away from the throngs.

Along the way, Lina watched Zelgadiss skim off a few food items, and was tempted to snatch a few herself, but in her fury didn't.

"Here," he said, offering her a napkin wrapped around a few snacks.

"Uh, thanks," she said.

Lina recognized a token peace offering when she saw one. As Lina nibbled at the pastry, the fire inside her completely diffused, and she started to talk. She didn't tell him about Xelloss' attempt to seduce her. If he had sent Zelgadiss on this fool's errand to mollify her feelings, she thought, then Xelloss probably already told him that much. Instead, she repeated how angry she was at Xelloss for going through with a wedding knowing how Zel felt about Amelia.

"Xelloss can't refuse a direct command from Zelas, but," he lowered his voice and cleared his throat. "Amelia says it is not legally binding and won't be recognized by her or Seyruun. I want to say to you, and these are not his words, Lina, but mine: please don't think badly of Xelloss."

"Well, I guess if you can forgive him, I can too. Still . . . "

"You wish it were you marrying him instead?" he asked, braving her wrath either way.

"Not your business. I won't answer that," she said, leaving him to decide for himself. It didn't matter anyway. "By the way, where do you suppose that necklace Amelia's wearing came from? I know he sent it to Prince Phil. And I know it wasn't returned with the man's reply."

"Xelloss had a copy made, naturally. He'd never send the original out of the settlement, especially to Seyruun," Zel replied. "Capriones are skilled crafts people and even better forgers."

"Oh. So that's the real deal she's wearing now. I think I'll go to bed. Ugh, my back . . . Tomorrow will be a busy enough day, and who knows where I'll be sleeping tomorrow night-- on the road or on a soft downy bed in the palace."

Zelgadiss stopped her with a hand to the shoulder, and asked, "Sore? I can help."

She wasn't sure what he meant. Was she still mad? Yes. Was her body aching? Yes.

"Yeah . . ."

His hands slid under her cape. Starting at her shoulders, he touched her lightly, sending tendrils of white healing magic deep into her muscles. Although Sylphiel had cured her aches and injuries in this manner countless times, Lina had never allowed a man she hardly knew contact her so intimately, except Xelloss. But he was the exception to the exceptions. At the moment, Lina was torn between pushing the shaman away and falling in love.

"S-shamans are healers, too?" she stuttered.

"I am, but I'm not very accomplished, or I would have cured myself. I can't perform a resurrection spell, for instance," he replied as he worked down her back and sides.

A sudden thought occurred to him. "You aren't possibly pregnant, are you?"

"What?" she cried out, the tension instantly returning to her body.

He wasn't entirely comfortable being this close to Lina, but it was the only way to apply treatment, and he particularly didn't like asking probing questions of her, but, again, he didn't want to mistreat her condition. He was fed up with her prickly temperament. Zel's expression verged on the edge of exasperation as he clarified his question.

"With. Child."

"I know what the word means. I'm not an idiot," she snapped, cheeks warm.

"Well, for all I know you are a married woman with children already. I really know very little about you or any of your friends. My point is that there's no 'cure' for pregnancy that I will perform."

Her reaction puzzled him. Her eyes opened very wide and her delicate skin lost all its color, and then flushed with color.

"Well, are you?" he repeated, the strain of being polite showing.

"No," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've never . . . you know."

It was his turn to be embarrassed, coloring beneath his scars. He hated this. He had been sent on an information-gathering mission from Xelloss, and although he believed he understood Lina better, he wished he didn't.

"Uh, yeah." He resumed his healing magic, rushing himself to finish so he could still spend some time with Amelia. "You act older than you are," he said.

"Huh? How young do think I am?"

There was no right way to answer that, and she knew it. Zelgadiss let out a sigh and threw out his best guess.

"Fifteen?"

"Close. Not a bad guess, heh, heh . . ." she chuckled nervously. "Seventeen, about to turn eighteen. Amelia's younger, you know."

"I didn't," he said, his eyes begging for the answer to his unspoken question.

"She's almost sixteen."

It was his turn to be surprised. "That young? My gods, I thought she was at least eighteen. Her figure is so . . . mature."

Lina looked cross.

"Men, you all so alike -- shallow like pie pans."

"Well, that's one way to tell," he said with a defensive snort. "Sylphiel is older than you?"

"Yes. She's twenty and Filia is in her late twenties, very late, if you get my point."

"I see," Zelgadiss said, then searched Lina's face, judging her receptiveness to what he had to say next. "He's in love with you. It's making his job very difficult, you know."

Lina narrowed her eyes and stepped back a ways. "You mean, getting married tomorrow is a bit tough for him with me around? I'm soooo sorry to be such a big problem. I'm not the one getting married, buster."

"No, I didn't mean it that way and you know it. He's got a plan . . ."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the gist of it and I let him know I'm not interested in the 'other woman' role in his little act. Now, as much as I have appreciated the chat and the magic act, I'm still tired. Oh, and I see Amelia coming this way."

"Lina, he has a plan for tomorrow."

"Not interested."

"It is a secret--"

"Super, keep it that way. If Xelloss wanted for me to know, then he would have let me in on it, as it is . . . Never mind. I'm going to bed. Bye."

This time Zelgadiss let Lina leave. He understood what the real problem was now. He would be able to report back to Xelloss that she had feelings for him, but that nothing would come of it as long as the wedding was a sure thing. Maybe that would appease his friend's mind a little. The situation was better than Zel had hoped for. Before finding Xelloss, however, he was looking forward to entertaining the princess.

(O)

The wee hours of the morning passed in slumber following the previous night's activities. Neither the music of birdsong nor the cacophony of barking dogs and high-pitched crying of children at play disturbed the girls' sleep. But as the sun-warmed air replaced the night's chill, the girls awakened, demanding food and baths. A meager tray of toast and tea was delivered.

Sylphiel offered to help Amelia prepare her hair. She pictured it curled in coils and ringlets forming a crown with flowers. Lina and Filia would do the flower collecting while the others bathed, then it would be their turn.

"You know, it's really nice out," Lina said, standing outside their tent. "We got hours. Why don't we go swimming in that lake? Take some soap and clean up there. It's got to better than trying to wash up in some little bowl in here, right?"

"What about privacy?" Filia asked. "I'm not putting on a show for the locals."

"Okay, we'll put our towels on the pier and jump off that in our underwear. No one goes out that way. We can get one of those nervous little boys to stand guard," Lina said with finality.

"Here's a few of them now," Sylphiel said.

"We are bringing the princess' herbal bath," boy in the forefront said to Lina, who was blocking his way to the tent.

"What about the rest of us? We could use some mollycoddling too."

"Some what?"

Filia pushed past. "Come on, Lina. You and I will brave the lake. Let Sylphiel take care of Amelia."

Since this plan suited everyone, Lina picked off the last boy in the group, pressed a few coins into his palm, and told him: "You've been hired to guard us."

He was pleased to have the money and to be chosen for guard duty, although even he realized that either Lina or Filia could have flattened him with a single punch.

"Yes, Miss!"

Lina explained his duties on the way to the pier. "See these towels? They will remain dry and where we leave them on the deck with our clothes. You will stand guard over them. Let no one near them. Who, you ask, can touch our stuff? _No_ one. If anyone should come close to us or to our belongings, you are to shout, yell, and scream your head off to get our attention. Got that?"

He nodded having no idea what she was talking about. When they strode to the end of the pier, he was still confused.

"Turn around," Lina ordered. "We're getting undressed. When we're in the water, you can turn around again. Better yet, we'll let you know. Now turn!"

He spun like a top. His mind had stopped processing after he heard her say they were going into the water, but it kicked in again when she yelled at him the second time. He heard two splashes and squeals. He didn't wait for the 'okay', but dashed about looking for them. He was in a panic. The girls were in the water. They were about to drown and he could do nothing; he certainly couldn't jump in and save them. And these weren't just any girls; these were special to Prince Xelloss.

"I'm getting help!" he yelled, then sped back up the pier, past the posts which had held the fiery torches the night before, then disappeared in the clusters of tents.

"Look at him! Where's he going?"

"Damn it all, that little beggar's ripped me off. I paid him!"

"You should have waited until he had done his job. Capriones aren't trustworthy," and Filia added for good measure, "none of them."

Lina hoped that wasn't as true as it was looking to actually be. "Oh, well, might as well enjoy the water. It isn't as cold as I thought it might be."

"Just stay close to the surface where the sun warms it," Filia advised, then followed Lina in a little swimming exercise.

The workout did them both some good. Lina needed to stop thinking about Xelloss, the wedding, and her journey to Seyruun. She needed to unwind. She had been surprised when Sylphiel had announced her engagement to Gourry, and yet was also happy for her. She had really tried to feign happiness, and if her own feelings for Xelloss hadn't been inflamed– scorched was closer to the truth– Lina would have been more convincing.

As it was, she knew everyone felt sorry for her. Her, Lina inverse! It was no surprise that she, Lina Inverse, should catch the eye of a good-looking man; she was a great catch! She had oodles of sex appeal. Naturally Xelloss would flirt with her! What miffed her was that Xelloss had the gall to expect her to reciprocate. What kind of a girl did he think she was? No, scratch that. Definitely, Lina did not want her mind to take that direction. Time to forget. . .

"Thanks, Filia, for coming swimming with me. I needed this."

"It's all right. I needed it just as much. That place, the dust, and the back-woodsy people– it all gets to me. I can't imagine having to live that way forever, like Amelia, but Sylphiel has chosen to! I'll miss them, because I can't see myself coming back here for visits. Well, maybe. Later. Oh . . . this feels so freeing," Filia said, sighing as she slid easily over onto her back and floated. "I should be thanking you for thinking it up."

Lina heard voices, a commotion in the distance, alerting her to danger at once. Treading water lifted her high enough to get a glimpse back to the water's edge, then to the pier. People.

"Ah . . . Filia, don't be in a hurry to thank me. We got a problem."

"What? Oh, dear . . . what are the yokels in a stir about this time?"

"Us," Lina said. "They are looking at us. Oh, geez . . . there's Xelloss. Gods . . . If I ever get my hands on that kid's neck I'm going to ring it clean off, I swear! Just what I didn't want."

While Lina was conflicted over her feelings for Xelloss, Filia had other concerns.

**End Capriones, Chapter Fourteen.**


	15. Delusion Engenders Mistrust

**_Capriones 8/4/2006_**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Fifteen -- Delusion Engenders Mistrust **

"Our stuff! Are they mashing my clothes? That's all I have!" Filia cried out, and then choked on a mouthful of water. "Ugh! I swallowed the water! It's probably filled with all their filth. Gods, I'm going to be sick!"

Lina continued to tread water as she watched Xelloss use the orb-ended part of his staff to gently push his way through the crowd. When he reached the edge of the pier he waved the stick.

"Everything okay?" he called.

"No! Go away. Send everyone away!" she yelled back.

She could see his smile, and then she could make out his movements, shooing folks back to their business and leaving him with his business, which was really just her and Filia's business. He stood watching them, arms folded with his staff lodged firmly in the crook of his arm until everyone had gone. He bent over, picking through a pile of clothes. When he straightened up, he was smiling and holding up the two towels in a hand.

"You can come back now. All's clear," he called out again.

Lina and Filia swam closer, close enough to exchange conversation without shouting.

"No, it's not. You're here," Filia snapped. "Now, shoo!"

"Why were they all gawking at us like we were monsters?" Lina asked, more genially.

"Because, Capriones don't swim. Witches float, you see, at least that is what is believed. One way to prove you aren't a witch is not to be able to swim. I know, stupid, really, but as I told you, we are a superstitious people. Not all is useful or good for us. Can I give you a hand getting out?" Xelloss said.

"No, we're just in our underwear," Lina said, wishing she hadn't stimulated his imagination, causing his smile to widen. "Scratch that. Just vamoose, okay?"

"Okay. Oh, and don't be too hard on my servant boy. He thought you were drowning and ran to get me to save your lives. I told him he had done the right thing and said you would want him to keep the payment you had given him for his quick thinking. Oh, and Gourry is hosting lunch at his tent, if you are interested. Bye, now," Xelloss said, chuckling, and left, the sound of his staff tapping on the wooden pier fading away.

"Lunch," Lina muttered to Filia as they swam the last few laps to the pier. "We haven't even had breakfast—a real one. I'm starving."

"Me, too, but it was worth missing a meal to get cleaner than we were," Filia reminded her as they maneuvered carefully up the rotting rungs of a neglected ladder from the water to the upper lever of the structure.

"Yeah, there's that, I suppose," Lina reluctantly agreed. "Brrr..."

A breeze blew over the water, chilling them instantly. Both girls wrapped themselves in the towels, letting the water run off and onto the weathered planks, and shivered a few seconds.

"Hey Xelloss!" Lina hollered.

His retreating back turned and he slowly returned to the shoreline. "You called?"

"Yeah, can you come out here a min? I have a question eating me."

Xelloss did as she asked, covering the distance with his quick, but elegant, gait, all the while his face showed mild amusement. When he joined them at the end of the pier,his eyes flickered over Lina, then crinkled shut as he smiled, imagining her form underneath the scanty towel.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Look down here and tell me what you see," Lina said, pointing over the edge of the pier as she clutched her towel tightly around her.

He leaned over, curious and unsuspecting.

"Nothing. What should I see?"

With all her considerable strength, Lina pushed and over he went into the water with a terrific splash.

"A trickster!" she shouted.

She and Filia stood above, laughing as his head bobbed up. He was completely dressed, shoes included, so in order to keep his head above water he had to use his arms and legs, exercising energetically. He was not happy.

Lina lay on the sun-bleached wood planks and looked down. "Need a hand out?"

"No," he said, as he first retrieved his floating staff, and then labored over to the rickety ladder.

Filia pulled Lina to her feet and out of the way.

"He looks miserable all dripping wet," she said. "Well done."

Xelloss stepped closer to Lina, meeting her gaze directly, and asked, "You want to justify that or just let me guess?"

He was cold. He clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering, making his voice sound harsher than usual. Lina suddenly was afraid he might hit her. She backed away, pushing the pile of clothes along as she went, before he dripped water on her and them, and then put on her brave face.

"You said the Capriones can't swim," Lina said. "But that's nuts. Most the Capriones are runaways who've joined up or folks who've been captured. They probably swim fine. You can swim, or you'd be dead. Just another of your damned lies."

Xelloss didn't move, so Lina, feeling braver, met his eyes, defiantly.

"So far you've proven to me that you're good at deception, lies, and fakes– handy for a magician– but not for a partner in a battle. I'd just like it straight from you, even the little things, so I can believe I'm not throwing my life away on this fool's errand to Seyruun."

Xelloss shook from the chill, wiping his face with a sleeve to cover it up. He untied the complicated sash at his waist as he looked up at the sky, judging the time, then sighed and shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"It was just a story, Lina. I thought a harmless one."

Working off his clingy shirt he continued, "It's more . . . of a folktale about our past than of the state of things as they are today. My error in judgment."

He shook out his hair one more time. The gold chain on his smooth-muscled, goose-bump-covered chest sparkled in the sun, and from it hung the dull black Philosopher's Stone treasure.

"In the future, I will stick to absolutes."

He made a point of wringing out the sash and shirt before adding, "I'll see you once more before you leave tonight."

Before Lina or Filia could say anything else, Xelloss took off with as much pride as he could, while looking like a soggy rat.

"Nice build," Filia said when he was well out of hear shot. "Annoying jerk– that goes without saying-- but not the prissy weakling I thought he was at first. Of course, that was rather nice of him to clear the area for us and save our clothes. I suppose he could have joined the other spectators-- the letches. Anyway, not that I care particularly, but I think you got to him this time."

"Hnn," Lina grunted.

Lina's immediate feeling of elation vaporized. Her heart sank. Her mind was stuck in the middle, making her little victory feel like a defeat. Filia was right; she had hurt his feelings and damaged his ego, but what she had done was a childish prank. Lina felt cold inside as she admitted to herself that he was an attractive, well-built man, who was so far out of contention for her heart that it shouldn't matter.

But. It. Did.

"Oh course, if you just wanted his attention, I'm sure there must be better ways," Filia said.

"What? No, that's not it!" Lina snapped. "Not at all."

"Naturally. As you say. Well, we shouldn't return to our tent without bringing at least a few flowers for Amelia's hair," Filia reminded her.

(O)

Rezo was attacking Seyruun from the bottom up, beginning with arousing the passions of the people, then working his way up through the leadership, invoking action to remove all the magic users from power. The princes, Rezo suspected, were white magicians themselves, and after their usefulness to him had run out, would have to be eliminated. By promising the throne to the ambitious youngest brother, altering the natural succession, and sewing the seeds of distrust between the two elder brothers, Rezo hoped to play them against each other in the future, ending in their mutual annihilation. And if that didn't work, he'd have to destroy them himself, a nasty task he wished to avoid, and nearly impossible without the power from the Philosopher's Stone.

Prince Randolph had already begun poisoning the king. Rezo knew this was so because his Majesty's health was in sudden, rapid decline, plummeting to death. Rezo thought about the last unhappy report from the healers, satisfied with his interference so far. However, he had no time to waste in mental celebration.

Rezo selected pickled herring and toast from the offerings and returned to his chair, shaking out his napkin. It was time for the next tactical move. He had selected the earliest moment possible to begin work on the middle brother, Christopher, about whom he knew very little. The difficulty obligated him to be tactful and listen while they shared a private repast.

"I'm terribly disturbed to hear that your father, and your king, is failing. Is there nothing that can be done for him?" Rezo asked.

"Everything is being done for him. That's the problem. All the healers in the country are here, the very best. If there is nothing they can do, well, then . . . " Prince Christopher's voice trailed off, leaving him with a melancholy, half-finished thought. "I was about to return to the outlying territories, but his startling downturn requires I remain until . . ."

"Yes, of course you wish to be of any possible service. It is the king, but your father, too," Rezo said gently, his tone compassionate. "If you'd like, I could check on him?"

At one time Cardinal Rezo had been renowned entirely for his healing skill, but that was before his meteoric rise through the shrine hierarchy. Christopher looked up sharply from his scant plate of toast and fruit.

"Oh?"

"It would be the least I could do while enjoying the hospitality of this palace," Rezo added with a smile.

"Possibly," Christopher agreed, his lean, suntanned face drawn with worry behind his drooping black moustache, but his eyes narrowing as if studying the man opposite him at the table for the first time.

It was not the response Rezo had expected from the seemingly preoccupied, broken man. He had expected his offer to be snatched up instantly as a last thread of hope. Instead, the prince's resolve had returned and he appeared wary.

In some ways, Christopher was the antithesis of his older brother, Philionel; lean where Phil was heavy, weathered skin while Phil's was indoor-delicate; quiet and thoughtful, while Phil was loud and passionate. But in the most important ways, they were alike: they applied to all their policy and decision making their innate honesty, integrity, and whole-hearted conviction in the righteousness of their laws and justice system.

Rezo needed a moment to collect his thoughts. He rose from his chair to look over the food set out on the sideboard. He had plenty to choose from: piles of sausages, sliced ham, sweetbreads, and fried livers warmed by candles, assortments of rolls, bread, and pastries, egg dishes, fish, fruit– enough to feed the starving in poor houses across the land. He selected a pastry and fruit, and returned to his place at the table he shared with only the prince, deciding to take a more direct approach.

"I don't wish to be indelicate at this time," Rezo began again. "But have you considered the damage Philionel would do to the kingdom should he become its ruler?"

"Pardon?" Christopher said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"I know he is your brother, and filial love is noble, but the man is . . . unstable." Rezo smiled warmly. "I like Philionel– don't get me wrong! But the word all over the other kingdoms is that he is more than a little eccentric, and, worse, by ignoring the edicts to report or turn over magic users to the guard, he is in violation of the Shrine's laws, which puts Seyruun in danger. Rumor is that you are the preferred choice to lead this kingdom. You are certainly widely recognized from your travels, and admired for uniting the far territories under the laws of Seyruun. Your influence is far-reaching, firmly grounded in the law, and without Philionel's penchant for the dramatic."

"Thank you for your concern, which I'm sure is based only on good intentions, but we in Seyruun do not let others decide what is best for our kingdom. The information of foreigners is incomplete and incorrect," Christopher said. He straightened his shoulders and stared directly at Rezo, his eyes boring into the other man's.

"Prince Philionel's personal campaigns for justice might appear . . . eccentric . . . to you, an outsider, but he is greatly loved and admired for leading his own attacks against marauders." Christopher avoided mentioning of his brother's use of white magic, or that of Princess Amelia, and finished his thought with affection. "He is considered to be quite inventive."

Rezo looked at Christopher and a slow smile spread to his eyes. "You have no need to play humble or loyal with me, prince. It is quaint, but unnecessary. So are your attempts to protect him. I have had terrific success in Atlas City clearing the land of the dangerous magic users. I would hate to have to include your brother, but he sets a poor example. He must be either tempered or convinced to decline the throne when it is offered him."

Christopher kept his temper with effort. He could see now that Rezo was trying to provoke him into betraying his brother. Why had he not warned the king about the pending danger of the cardinal's growing power? His father had been so blind to the danger creeping up to the borders of their kingdom. Was it already too late? Was Rezo already embedded in Seyruun? The blood burned up his face and he stumbled into speech to cover the hot silence.

"My brother does not conform to someone else's conventions, nor will he moderate his behavior or submit his ideals to anyone!"

"You justify my point," Rezo said smugly. "Philionel is unbalanced, too established in the old ways, relying on magic instead of inner strength, and generally ill-suited to take the throne. A man of your more moderate bearing and high intelligence will rule far more effectively, at the king's death."

"_If he dies_, you must mean," Christopher reminded him. "The king still lives."

"Ah, yes. That is true. Perhaps, I should see him now and determine for how long?"

Christopher stood. "If you insist. I will accompany you."

Rezo followed the prince from the dining hall, displeased with how his meeting had concluded. He wanted Christopher to be angry and distrustful of his brother, not with him. If only he had the Philosopher's Stone of power! He would have no need of allies like these. He would be all powerful. Where was it? Why was Lina Inverse still free? Where was his grandson hiding?

He made a mental note to divert a few more of his guards to scour the city for the object and the two people of interest to him. The Orihalcon statuette could be in the hands of an ignorant loan shark who would be oblivious of the treasure concealed within. Vurumagen would lead the contingent and find what he was looking for, if they were here at all.

He would also strip-search every inch of the Capriones settled lands and then blast them into oblivion, which meant that he would have to part with another detail of his Red Guard for that purpose. But Vurumagen couldn't be in two places at once. No. He would send Randolph to the Capriones leading his Red Guard. It would be easy to explain the man's death at the hands of those miserable thieves, and he might possibly discover the item or the people he sought.

He must find that stone!

**End Capriones, Chapter Fifteen.**


	16. Wedding Rites and Rights

**_Capriones 8/4/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Sixteen -- Wedding Rites and Rights**

Lunch at Gourry's tent was a quiet affair. Xelloss was stiff, greeting everyone with a formal bow. After that, he sat on his cushion pushing food around on his plate disinterestedly. Anyone observing him would have thought he was nervous about his upcoming nuptials or he was protecting his bruised feelings caused by Lina's treatment of him. In any case, his solemnity darkened everyone's mood.

Xelloss had had all night to reflect. Lina stirred him like no other woman ever had, even though he repressed his feelings to the point of exterminating them. The moment he met her on the road to the settlement, he had thought Lina was beautiful. So full of spunk and energy. She excited him, kindling his smoldering desires. He had to fight to remain dispassionate.

It was a battle he had never fought so hard before. He was not tempted by other women, or men. Zelas had seen to that. He was hers to control, to use; there could be no emotional conflict. Opposing her would be treasonous to the traditions of his people, the laws of his clan. By her command he was to marry this child, and it wasn't right in anyway, but he would have obeyed without question --had he not met Lina.

Lina was something else.She was a firebrand with herdazzling smile, flaming red hair,andincendiary temperment. Then there was thesoftness of her skin and kissable lips. Her scent. The curve of her neck. He shuddered, scarcely supressing the urge to reach out now and touch her. Sometimes exerting all the control he could muster was not enough, like the night before. He had stepped over the line, and Lina had let him know. And now, her presence was igniting his passions, burning a hole in his guts.

He would have to act. If the situation was not resolved before she left with Gourry tonight, it just might kill him, but, then, maybe that would be the best solution for everyone. His anger swelled to the point he nearly screamed. His vise-like grip on his table knifedraining his hand of color. He could not contain himself any longer.

Lina didn't dare look him in the eye and answered any questions in a brusque manner, bordering on rude. Amelia had no appetite, choosing to join Zelgadiss in a cup of hot tea. Valgaav was late, which hardly mattered since he sat apart from the others robed in a sulky attitude and gnawing on a carrot. Filia, Sylphiel and Gourry maintained the entire conversation, trading banalities about the cloudless, dry weather and the tasty food.

Suddenly, Xelloss jabbed the knife into the tabletop, then stood abruptly.

"Excuse us. We must go," he said, his teeth gritted, his voice taut.

He held out a hand to Amelia. "My princess..."

Amelia turned and gazed one last time at Zelgadiss. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She would not complain about what she could not change, especially knowing that her father approved. The tender, silent exchange of pure love nearly broke his heart. Only Xelloss knew Philionel was against the marriage, and only Xelloss had the power to fix the problem. He controlled everyone's future, if he could control his own first. Did he have the courage, he wondered?

Xelloss caught Zelgadiss' eyes for a fraction of a second and nodded. His decision made, a previously drawn plan was set in motion, at last. Xelloss and Amelia departed together to the "wedding tent," previously Xelloss' private tent. This was a traditional time set aside for the young couple to be alone and plan the rest of their lives before taking their vows in front of their friends. What they actually did was to lie down, staving off confrontation, and pretend to nap.

"That was pretty awful," Filia said.

"We can go get them a gift. We got a couple hours," Gourry told the others.

Since it gave them all something to do, especially those without the heart to do much more, everyone followed him to the craft booths.

"I got a list of things they need," Zelgadiss said. "This way."

Shortly thereafter Lina started to notice what they were buying.

"Zel, these look more like the components for a complex bit of sorcery, rather than for a wedding gift. Are you sure you got the right list?"

"Yes. I wrote it up myself, with suggestions from Sylphiel and Amelia," Zel answered.

"Oh," Lina said as she realized that the items were for him. She was reminded that the Sylphiel and Amelia were going to attempt his cure while she and Filia left with Gourry and Valgaav on errands of her own. Zel was facing his own life-altering, possibly life-ending, body change. It had skipped her mind.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I went for a swim. It helped some. Thanks."

"I heard about that." Zelgadiss smiled slightly, but said no more about it, sensitive to the discomfort of both Lina and Xelloss over the event. "_Bonemend_. It's an herb on the list. Get a couple ounces."

Sylphiel selected a pretty scarf to give to Amelia. Filia suggested an extremely sharp-looking dagger instead. Gourry thought Xelloss might like the knife too, but that Amelia looked more the "scarf type." Filia told him that she meant the dagger for Amelia's protection, and left it at that. Valgaav bought the dagger "just in case."

The long afternoon passed slowly. When Zelgadiss heard the opening notes of a familiar tune, played with passion, solo on a flute, he rounded up the group, telling them it was time to go to Zelas' enclosure for the wedding ceremony.

Xelloss was surprised to find that his hands were sweating and he could hear the beat of his pulse in his ears. He hadn't expected to have a case of nerves, but then he hadn't expected to ever be holding the hands, and the future, of a beautiful and terribly young girl in a nuptial ceremony. He had never intended to marry. He had never found a woman who interested him; that is, until he met Lina Inverse. Marrying Lina now seemed an unobtainable goal. She thought him a fool and a liar. Well, wasn't he? He certainly appeared about to promise constancy to a girl half his age and whom he didn't love.

He glanced at Lina moments before it would be his turn to say his vows. Lina looked faintly sick. A shiver passed over her skin, as the sun fell, setting her hair aflame. He wanted to embrace her and be burned alive.

"Begin any time," Zelas told him impatiently.

"Amelia, I promise to care for you and to do everything possible to bring true happiness into your life. You will never be hungry or cold or lonely," Xelloss intoned.

Amelia's voice wavered slightly as she replied, "I shall do my duty and respect you and honor you."

Zelas, presiding over the simple ceremony, tied a ribbon around the couple's wrist, and announced, "So be it! Refreshments at my tent."

"That was it?" Filia asked Lina at her side. "Now they are married? What a disappointment that was! Why bother at all? You'd think they'd make more of the wedding than the party preceding it!"

But Lina didn't answer. There was no need and she had no heart to argue. She wasn't past caring, but her senses had numbed. She followed the others to Zelas' giant tent, where they had all first met only days ago. The food and faces flashed by her in a blur. So much had transpired since the last time she had visited Zelas' tent, and now, Lina's little company of mercenaries was about to part ways.

Filia was to travel with the laziest, most arrogant man Lina had ever met, who Filia had somehow inspired to try his hand at leading the Cepheid people against Rezo and to help the Capriones. One heck of a challenging undertaking.

Sylphiel was to be married and live with these interesting people. What an unexpected, yet, good match she had made. Lina looked forward to traveling with Gourry. He was the kindest man alive, to her knowledge– not a bad bone in his body. Sylphiel truly deserved a great man like him, and Lina promised to bring him back to her, unscathed.

She also hoped that Sylphiel and Amelia would cure Zelgadiss' condition. Zelgadiss fascinated her with his intensity, talent, and, underneath the rough exterior, his depth of caring. He was someone Lina would have liked to have had the chance to get to know better. Would she get another opportunity?

As Lina gazed at Zelgadiss, Xelloss approached him, bending to speak in his ear. Something secret, naturally. Lina turned her back on them, irritated with them and herself. That was silly, she thought. She should go say something to them while she still had the chance. But what? There was nothing to say to Xelloss that would alter the facts, but she could invite Zel along on journey to Seyruun. Would he want to delay his cure? Should she ask Zel now, or wait until Xelloss and Amelia were gone? She was irresolute, and hesitated a moment too soon. Candles danced with the change of air as the flap opened and closed, and when Lina looked again Xelloss, Amelia, and Zelgadiss were gone.

Sylphiel approached her, carrying a plate of tidbits.

"Well, it looks like Zelgadiss is helping them at the wedding tent," Sylphiel said to her. "Kinda sad for him, I'd think."

"No kidding," Lina agreed. "And cruel of Xelloss to ask anything of the poor guy."

Lina decided she would stop by Zel's tent before she and Gourry left, and ask if him to accompany them, put some space between himself and Xelloss and Amelia. He could be cured another time, if it was possible at all. Feeling somewhat better after having made up her mind, Lina nabbed a morsel from Sylphiel's plate and tossed it into her mouth. Her appetite returned with her complacency, until Zelas' jarring voice interrupted her pleasant thoughts. A sudden chill racked Lina, as if the food she had swallowed had been iced.

"Dear Lina, you aren't looking well tonight. Maybe you should go lie down," Zelas said.

The woman wore a decidedly disturbing smile with her smashing magenta and bottle-green ensemble. The smile reminded Lina of Xelloss, causing her to flinch involuntarily. Lina never wanted to appear weak in front of this woman, especially if it might relate to her son, so she threw back her shoulders and stood as tall as possible.

"I'm fine. I just had something that didn't go down right, that's all. I'll be good as new in no time."

"I am so pleased to hear that. I wouldn't want anything that I've done put you off. I'd try and stay away from the fried samosas, if I were you. They are very hot, and, as you have found out, hot spice isn't for everyone."

Lina wasn't sure if the woman was referring to the food or to Xelloss, but it didn't matter. Lina was up to any challenge.

"I like it hot, actually. Gets me all fired up."

"Really? Well, then, perhaps it was the water. You were swimming today, I hear. Drinking untreated water is very dangerous."

On second thought, Lina was in no mood to parry wits with that woman.

"I'll keep that in mind, next time," Lina said, and then stalked off in search of those samosas.

Lina spotted Gourry in line at the banquet. He was third in line, far closer to the front than she, so she sidled up beside him and began to chat.

"Ah, Gourry? How much longer do we gotta hang out at this party? I'd just as soon go now," Lina whispered.

"We don't all go at once, Xelloss said that. We go after him, or Valgaav's next, I think. Sylphiel knows; I told her. I'm getting her some food. You want something?"

"Why not!" Lina smiled. "Just load me up some of everything, especially those samosas things. Thanks."

A few minutes passed. Gourry delivered Lina a heaping platter of food, then left her to hunt for Sylphiel. Filia swept past, whispering a quick "good luck," before escaping the party behind Valgaav. Lina finished off her plate about the time Sylphiel sat next to her with a rustle of skirts.

"What is it?" Lina asked.

"Time to go. Gourry says he'll walk us both to our tent," Sylphiel replied.

Lina wiped off her mouth and set her plate on the floor beside her cushion. "Okay."

Outside the tent it was dark. Gourry led both girls to the tent which had housed them for the past few days.

"Grab your bag, then," he told Lina.

Gourry pulled Sylphiel into his arms and kissed his beloved passionately.

Meanwhile, Lina changed into traveling clothes, black pants and a loose shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror as she hastily tied back her wild hair. She resembled one of Xelloss' servant boys, which was the point. She wouldn't call attention to them if she appeared to be Gourry's young retainer. Lina reached for the satchel Xelloss had provided her. It was marked with his scent and his hand grime from constant use. Now stuffed with a few of her personal items, she pushed back the longing she felt for him, and cleared her throat before charging into the couple outside her tent.

Sylphiel whispered her last words of love, parting reluctantly. "Take care, both of you."

"You, too," Lina said.

Lina trotted beside Gourry, his long legs carrying him two steps further for every one of Lina's.

"Slow down," she said. "Where are you going?"

"We're getting my horse," he said. "You'll be riding with me. Sharing, you know?"

"That's okay. Oh, hey... shucks," Lina said in mock anger. "I forgot something. I gotta go back to the tent, but I'll meet you right here in a min!"

"No, wait . . ." Gourry said, but Lina was already gone.

(O)

Zelgadiss and Xelloss had dropped Amelia off at her own tent to collect any personal items she might have neglected to move over earlier. Zelgadiss dashed back to collect her again and deliver Amelia to the wedding tent. She wanted to say something, he could tell, but he gave her no opportunity.

"Enjoy wedded bliss," he said with a hint of a smile.

"But–" Amelia croaked.

And then he shook off the hood and lowered the scarf masking his face, and winked. She responded with a sharp intake of air.

"Oh... you're..."

"Shhhh..." He snuffed out the candle by the door, pulled the scarf up over his nose and the hood down over his eyes, and then he departed. Just outside the tent, he paused to speak to the boy charged by Zelas with guarding the tent for the night. No one was to leave or enter the wedding tent.

"Xelloss does not want to be disturbed," he told the servant boy stationed outside the tent. "If there are any problems, see me."

"Yes . . . Zelgadiss," the boy said automatically to the man dressed like the familiar shaman friend to the prince.

The boy clearly understood that tonight was a special, private night for the wedded couple inside. Soon after, should Zelas demand it, they might be moved into her quarters and remain under her watchful eye.

The man, disguised as Zelgadiss, walked briskly away in search of a fair young lady who might wish to trade kisses for his money.

Back inside, Amelia gasped in the darkness, and turned to face the man remaining with her. Just her and Xelloss at last, but it wasn't Xelloss at all.

"What? That was–!"

"Yes, it was," the man whispered, a smile in his voice.

"Who are you?" Amelia shook her fist with her mouth agape. "I don't understand."

Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. And then she did understand. Her eyes widened with comprehension as the silvery hair fanning out from the unusual face took on a familiar appearance.

"Oh!"

Zelgadiss moved, planning to cover her mouth with his hand to silence any outcries that might give them away, but instead she flew into his arms.

Moments after Xelloss left his tent dressed in the shaman's pale tunic, pants, and concealing hooded cloak, the princess fell into her true love's welcoming arms. Zelgadiss and Xelloss had traded clothes in Amelia's brief absence, although he had only slid into Xelloss' black pants, leaving the golden tunic and black cloak on the floor of the tent where they had been unceremoniously flung. Zelgadiss was at first taken aback by Amelia's bold move, but his nervous anticipation of a night spent alone in her company and his mounting desire for intimacy, were more than sufficient for him to cast away all shreds of surprise and reticence and return the embrace. He had noticed her treat others with affection, and was grateful that it was transferable to him.

"This is wonderful! It's just you and me. You've been planning this all along?" she said.

Zelgadiss felt her cool cheek pressed against his bare skin and the warmth of her breath caressing his chest as she sighed. He ached with longing.

"We agreed it was the best idea that you cry out for me tonight, rather than for him."

He looked down, pulling back enough so that he could see her face, and then added, "If you'll have me for your husband, that is."

"Oh, yes! I'd love that very much!"

Zelgadiss smiled with the pleasure of her enthusiasm. His own heart was pounding in his chest so hard he knew she could feel it as well as hear it. Still there was lingering uncertainty he must resolve.

"And do you think even your father would approve the match of his youngest daughter with the true heir to the Greyword's legacy– despite appearances?"

Amelia sobered, but in her stalwart manner, never flinched. "Yes. Yes, I do. He is a man who sees beyond the external, although there are others close to the throne who are shallow enough to hold it against you."

Her face brightened, the warmth of her smile visible as their eyes adjusted to the dark, her love apparent and spilling over onto him a moment before she pushed apart. She struck a pose, flinging her little fist in the air.

"And in the morning, Sylphiel and I will remove the curse Cardinal Rezo so unjustly imposed upon --!"

"Shhh!" Zelgadiss hissed as he grabbed her.

Automatically, he pushed her down onto the softest surface he could aim for in the spilt second he had to find one, muffling her voice against him again.

"I'm Xelloss, remember?"

"Oh!" she screamed in fright and surprise, finding herself flat on her back, Zel's weight on her, lying on Xelloss' bedding in absolute darkness.

Then she remembered that people close by might overhear them, and she had nearly called him by his name and given them away! So far, any spies of Zelas had only to report that Xelloss and Amelia were secured in his tent.

"Yes, yes, I forgot. I'm so sorry!" she blubbered into his chest.

Tears he knew he could fix. Leaning in, he cupped her chin in his palm, lifted her face up to his, and kissed her lips. He didn't even notice the sound of the tent flap being adjusted.

"Then we are agreed," he said between light kisses that were making her giggle. "You are mine."

"Yes," she replied.

"Okay, then before we face the next day, which may bring fighting to our door, we must make the most of this night."

She sighed, but he wanted to make certain she understood what he was driving at. He knew she was innocent and pure; she was very young, protected, and a priestess. He was not. Even with his status as a slave to Xelloss, he had the freedom of lying with his choice of girls any night, so he was experienced in the act of love. He wanted Amelia and if she had any awareness of the physical, she must have felt his state of arousal, but would she be too frightened? Would she want him? Would she even let him touch her?

"Amelia, I love you. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever known and I want to show you how much I love you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so," she said, her voice small and timid.

"I want to make love to you, Amelia. Would you allow that? Under Cepheid, we will be husband and wife."

Her acceptance came in a gentle sigh. "Yes, Zel." She might have said "Xel."

Outside the tent, a girl joined the boy guarding the tent.

"Everything okay? I heard loud voices and the girl cry out?" asked the curious girl.

She was there with a purpose. She snuggled close to the boy and pulled him to a seated position beside her, but still at his post.

"Yeah, it's okay. I don't know what it was, but they had obviously made up the disagreement. They were in each other's arms and kissing very . . . intimately, he said, wincing with distaste and then glanced away, blushing furiously.

"Like this?" the girl asked coyly, giving him a demonstration.

She'd been paid for worse duties than to distract a guard for the rest of the night. She giggled and the coins that Xelloss had given her only moments before, jingled in her in her pockets.

**End Capriones, Chapter Sixteen.**


	17. Shattering Illusions

**_Capriones 8/12/2006 10:24 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Seventeen – Shattering Illusions**

Lina ran back the way she and Gourry had come, but instead of returning to her tent, she made a bee line for Zelgadiss'. She entered his tent without knocking.

"Hey, Zel?"

In the dim light cast by a single candle she saw him, back turned with his hood over his head. He was breathing audibly as if he'd been running around the camp.

"Ah, Zel, I know you didn't exactly invite me in, but I didn't find the right time to ask earlier. I wanted to invite you to join us, Gourry and me, on the road to Seyruun, you know? I figure, what's a few days more to wait for your cure, right? I know a little space might help, too. Hanging here with, you know, them . . . Well, it would be hard on me if I were you. We could use the help, too. Plus there's always the pity factor to consider when you're talking about getting Phil to join our side. But, ah, mostly I'd like your company. What do you say?"

"Thanks, but no," he said, his voice muffled. "Now, please leave. I'd like to be alone."

Lina didn't want to take no for an answer.

"Look me in the eye and say that," she demanded.

Zel continued to avoid her. "Please, as a friend, just . . . go."

"Listen, buster," Lina said, raising voice. "Brooding away in the dark is not going to make the feelings go away. Believe me, I know. You gotta get doing something. Do you hear?"

Lina grabbed him by the shoulder and with an abnormal strength for a girl her size, twisted him around. In shock, his head flew up, hood falling back to reveal dark hair and Xelloss' face.

"Huh?" she gasped.

Xelloss covered her mouth with a hand, "Shhhh . . . If Zelas finds out that Zelgadiss is with Amelia and not me, he could be put to death, understand?"

Lina nodded and he removed his hand.

"You're not with Amelia?"

His eyes widened. "Obviously not, Lina. Like I said, Zel is. No one was to know."

He could feel her warmth still in his tingling hand. He expected intruders to blunder in any second and discover them. He desperately wanted Lina to tell him she forgave him for all his secrets. He wanted, he hoped, he so gummed up his mind he couldn't think right.

Lina managed to overcome come complete surprise and find her voice. "Zel's sleeping with Amelia, not you?"

Xelloss rubbed his face, wondering what to do next. "I wouldn't do that– sleep with her. Never! I couldn't."

"You tricked everyone..."

"I had to! Zelas sees Zelgadiss as my property. I captured him and traded the lives of his men for him– that made him mine. Slaves do not get the princess; princes do, so until I can safely give Zel his freedom, this must remain a very, very deep secret-- for now."

"Then . . ." Lina began.

The possibilities flooded her mind. She had a sudden impulse to reach out and touch his face, kiss his lips. Could Xelloss ever feel deeply for her? Her heart was pounding. She respected Xelloss immensely for what he had done for Zel and Amelia, and knew she had vastly underestimated him. Her stunt out by the lake had been immature. He must think her a child, a powerful blow to her vanity. More than anything, Lina wanted Xelloss to admire and respect her again. How was she going to tell him how wrong she had been about him?

"And you understand why I couldn't tell you the truth straight out?" he asked hurriedly.

"Maybe," she said.

Lina gave his question some thought before answering. "You didn't think I could keep your secret."

"Oh no, Lina don't think that! I'd trust you with my life!"

"But not Zel's?"

"I trusted you not to tell, but Zelas can read people so well; it's uncanny. I had no idea how good of an actress you could be and I could take no chances. I _knew_ nothing, Lina. I hoped... _hoped_ you cared enough about Amelia and Zelgadiss not to want the wedding to proceed. I _hoped_ that you'd make enough of a fuss to convince my mother that you believed it was going through. Zelas would disregard your feelings and the opinions of your friends, but not the lack of them."

"I see," she said, still mulling over what she wanted to tell him.

"I'm taking some terrible risks, some harder than others."

He paused a moment, looking into her open eyes. His tender expression sent her head spinning, striking her mute. He caressed the edge of the satchel she had slung over her shoulder.

"You know, I've had this so long it's like a part of me."

"Y-yeah?"

"Yes," he smiled faintly.

"I guess this is my biggest risk." He was unsure how much he should say. He was nervous and unusually tongue-tied.

"Masquerading as Zel and trading places with him tonight? I would agree."

"Well, yes, that too," Xelloss reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "I was thinking of this particular moment."

Lina's eyes latched onto his. She could feel his fingers tremble.

"I hope you still care for me... enough that you might... let me know before you leave," he said, his voice cracking.

"Huh?"

His eyes searched hers, desperate for her confirmation. "Gods, Lina! I never thought I could feel deep affection for anyone. I thought I was immune. But the moment I saw you, I knew you were the special someone I'd been waiting for all my life."

"Oh, Xel..." Lina sucked in her breath.

"Sh..." Xelloss covered his head and crouched down the instant they both heard the sound of boots crunching in the gravel outside his tent.

The scuffle of boots at the door to Zelgadiss' tent stopped. Xelloss imagined how frightened Lina must feel, his own heart was racing. Had someone followed her and overheard them, guessing their subterfuge?

"Ah . . . Zel? Um . . ." a man's voice said, stuttering over what to say.

A horse snorted and stomped the ground. It could only be one person. Both Lina and Xelloss simultaneously exhaled their bated breaths with relief.

"Gourry?" Lina called out.

"Yeah," he said as he pushed aside the door flap and entered the tent. "Sorry, ah . . . Zel. She tricked me and ran off. I couldn't stop her."

Xelloss let down his guard again, shaking his hair free, and turned to his brother. "It's okay, she knows who I am."

After that, Lina barely acknowledged Gourry's presence. What Xelloss had said was all important to her, and she admired him immensely for all he had conspired to do and achieved in spite of the odds, and his mother's interference. He had outmaneuvered Zelas and was still shielding them all from Zelas' vengeance. He had given Valgaav the opportunity to prove himself, and possibly Zelgadiss, too. Although for Zelgadiss, just having Amelia in his arms alone tonight might be all he needed to become the man he wanted to be. Ridding him of his scars seemed insignificant in comparison. What mattered most to Lina, however, was that Xelloss had admitted he was in love with her and was now free to tell her. Well, practically.

"Xelloss, I . . . We need to talk about this," Lina insisted.

She wasn't a Caprione, though, and unless she changed that, what hope would there be for a future together? Not to mention Zelas' anger when she discovered the truth. She detected his disappointment immediately. He had opened his heart to her and she just put him off! Why couldn't she tell him outright how she felt!

"And I'd like to sit and talk this out with you further, Lina– you don't know how much-- but we haven't time. I can't tell you how dearly Zelas would like to catch you escaping, even with Gourry, _even_ by my orders. You are too integral to her schemes for her to lose. You must go tonight, _now_, while she least suspects. And you have to get to Seyruun undiscovered. And convince the prince there to help us. Gourry knows how to avoid detection entering the city. Still, be careful."

"I'm not new at this covert stuff, Xelloss. I can keep a low profile when I need to," she snapped, angry at herself for failing to say what she needed to.

"I know, so you've told me, but Rezo is there, in Seyruun, possibly at the very palace you're planning to visit, looking for you, the power stone, and Zelgadiss. He won't find what he's looking for so he'll attack us next. We have days at most before he's compelled to tear apart this settlement for those treasures. Lina, you _must _avoid capture at all costs, but if something goes wrong, Gourry knows that Amelia's cousin, Alfred, will get a message through to me. I will come for you at whatever cost."

Xelloss' earnestness was making her uncomfortable. Lina wanted to talk in private, not with his brother hanging around. She shot Gourry a meaningful, hot glare.

"Guess I'll get started, then," Gourry said, taking the hint to exit stage right.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lina watched Gourry climb onto the largest cream-colored horse Lina had ever seen. In the low light, it seemed to glow. The tall man was dressed as a common mercenary in faded blue colors, well-worn pants and lightweight, tarnished armor under his cloak, but he looked like a storybook knight in shining armor. Handsome and spoken for as he was now, there was a time only days ago when Lina would have been tempted to become more than friends with the man.

"Lina, promise me to be extremely careful," Xelloss said in a near whisper.

Xelloss touched her arm and her attention was back wholly on him. Time slowed to encapsulate the moment, the last one in which she was certain to see his face. She knew the story of her life had turned a page. Lina wrapped her arms around Xelloss in a sudden decisive move, and kissed him.

"I will succeed and I'm sorry for what I said, and did."

She started to say more, but Xelloss stopped her with another, deeper kiss, crushing her to his chest.

"Shhh . . . No apologies needed," he said, pulling back. "Or I will have to get started and we'll be here all night. Here, keep this close."

For a heartbeat, Lina thought he was going to give her the philosopher's stone, which she had seen Xelloss wearing on the chain about his neck, but his hand grasped a small clump of hair and tugged sharply. He twisted the freed lock into a ring shape and pressed it into her open palm.

"And know you take a real part of me with you."

Lina's was heart racing. As she opened her mouth to say something full of import and sentiment, Xelloss suddenly placed his hands around her narrow waist, carried her the intervening steps to where Gourry waited, and hoisted her up onto the horse. Gourry secured her in front of him with a strapping arm. She gripped the pommel to center herself and made a point of tucking the keepsake down the front of her tunic.

"Ride fast, be careful, bring her back," Xelloss said, and then slapped the horse's flanks, sending them off into the dark.

He continued to stare after them, long after he could no longer see them, his eyes scalding with tears of helplessness and happiness.

(O)

Gourry and Lina rode through the darkness, usually a dangerous prospect because the horse could stumble and fall and it was the time favored by outlaws for attacks. If their luck held, they would be in Seyruun before midnight. Gourry's expectations for the ride were positive. He could still taste Sylphiel's kiss on his lips. The road conditions were very good in fall, the dirt being compacted and dry. Outlaws had been on the wane since the Capriones had moved in and taken over the monitoring the roadways. And Sylphiel would be home, waiting for him.

So, it came as a surprise when a tangle of brush and downed timber blocked the road. Had it been light, Gourry would have tried to jump it, but in the blackness of night, he had no choice but to reign in the horse.

"Looks like a trap," he said.

"No kidding," Lina agreed. "Watch out!"

"Fireball!" Lina shouted, casting a light spell.

She directed the flash up and outwards, illuminating the road, trees, and a pack of brutes running at them from both sides. Instead of exploding, the spell petered out after dropping only two men. Gourry had been expecting her spell to do a lot more damage, but he didn't wait for her next casting. He leaped from the horse, drawing his sword, and swiped at the nearest man, flattening him.

"Stay on the horse!" he shouted back at her.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she growled.

Lina wasn't about to lose her height advantage by getting down, and she was frustrated by her poor casting. She should be cleaning up the place with her fireball spell! Lina closed her eyes to concentrate on the enhancement spell, triggering her amulets to full power, and trusting Gourry's swordsmanship to buy them time.

"Fireball!" she screamed, releasing her spell in an intense burst of light.

The energy from the spell shot forward and down, charring the hair off the front-most men then dispersing harmlessly over the others.

"What the–!" Lina cried out in fury. What was she doing wrong?

"Ah, Lina?" Gourry shouted over his shoulder. "Can you distract them again with one of those?"

"Yeah, sure," Lina grumbled, and then began another incantation.

Once again Lina released her spell, which flashed brilliantly, but died out before producing any destructive force. In the light of the flash she could distinguish Gourry's robust form, wondering what he was up to. He was backed to the horse's flanks , making an adjustment to his sword which she couldn't understand, separating the blade from the hilt.

"Gourry, to your right!" she yelled, casting another failing spell, but blinding a ruffian charging the horse.

"Light Come Forth!" Gourry roared, holding his arm aloft.

Shooting from his empty hilt was a blade of pure energy, glowing pale blue in the dark. He dove at the oncoming men, running them through like a knife cutting custard, the blade a blurred halo as it swept around in an arc, slicing through everything in its path. Lina, frustrated with her own performance, had to be satisfied with sitting back and watching Gourry put on a show of daring and skill. He was terrific, and worth watching, but it was the enchanted sword that she coveted. What she could do with that sword and one of her spells! She was far removed from the howls of pain, the spattering of gore, and the raw earthy smell of spilled blood.

"You all right?" Gourry asked, panting from his exertion; job done.

"Yeah," Lina said, eyes glued to his hands as they reassembled the metal blade to the handle. "Lemme see that, will ya?"

Gourry looked askance at Lina, wary. "I don't think now's a good time, what with your magic being so feeble. These guys won't be getting up, but maybe they got backup on the way." He looked at her, cautiously, then asked, "Case of nervous, huh?"

"What? No! I've been in tighter situations than this!" Lina said. "It's just . . ." She looked into the darkness. "Ah, I need a private moment, okay?"

Gourry nodded. "Don't get lost."

"I won't! I'm not some idiot, you know," she snapped, her voice coming from the bushes where a lighting spell glowed dimly.

She reappeared, straightening her clothes. "Damn it all. What a time for my . . . ah . . . that time of the month, you know?"

She wouldn't look him in the eye, but his hesitation in replying forced her to elaborate when she wouldn't ordinarily want to.

"Once a month, a sorceress loses most of her power. It only lasts a couple days, then everything's back to normal, get it?"

"Oh!" he said, smiling. "I wasn't sure if you were that old yet. I kept telling Xelloss you looked pretty young for him to be taking an interest in."

"What? You think I look like a kid? I'm almost a full-grown adult woman!"

"Actually, you look more like a boy right now . . . the outfit and . . . all. Hey!"

Gourry found himself dodging Lina's powerful punches, grunting with pain when a few connected.

"Hey! That hurts, Lina!"

"Good!"

She finally wore herself out and stood panting, while Gourry massaged his sore spots.

"I wanted to tell ya I was sorry, 'cause I am. I guess it hurt you for me to think that about you," he said softly. Since Lina didn't appear to want to hit him again, he went on. "Xelloss sure doesn't think you're too young, but I think you know that now, huh?"

Lina shrugged "That's right," and took a shuddering deep breath, but found it painful to be reminded. "Ah, so tell me about your sword."

"Oh," he said, his face brightening. "Capriones made it for a king a long time ago. But they stole it back when their kin got turned into slaves. Been in my family ever since."

He stole a glance at Lina, whose eyes were covetously glued to the sword. He had no doubt that she would steal it if an opportunity arose.

"I gotta tell ya, though. I'm the only one with the special power to use it."

"What?" Lina's eyes instantly locked onto his. "You just used some key thingee to unhook the blade then shouted 'Light Come Forth!' I was paying attention."

He shook his head. "That's not all. Takes my magic touch. Even Xelloss can't make it work."

Lina didn't believe him, or want to think that treasure was out of her reach. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty much better than him at lots of stuff. Anyway, we'd better get moving."

Gourry agreed. They led the horse around the blockade and rode onto Seyruun without further incident that night.

**End Capriones, Chapter Seventeen.**


	18. Crossover Magic

**_Capriones 8/12/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Eighteen -- Crossover Magic**

Filia and Valgaav departed while the wedding party was in full swing. As far as Zelas knew they were the only ones leaving the settlement, and that with her grudging permission. Filia ran her hand over her horses' flanks, pleased at the animal's condition and quality. People who cared well for their animals couldn't be all bad. She swung up into the saddle with familiarity and ease. There was an acute pleasure in feeling the strength of a good animal beneath her. Valgaav led them single file out of the settlement until they hit the main road, at which point Filia spirited her horse alongside of his.

"Do you know where we are going?" she asked, doubting that he did.

The autumn night chilled her to the bones. She pulled her delicate-looking white and pink-edged cloak more tightly to cover her arms, hoping that added insulation from the elements would gain her more warmth. From the saddle hung the sword Xelloss had given to her, another tool in her arsenal, but one she preferred not to touch, and her bag of clothes purchased from the Capriones.

She had been traveling light when she, Sylphiel, and Lina took the job from Prince Phil, delivering the ransom for Princess Amelia. There was a bag with a few personal items and changes of clothes back in Seyruun, which she now doubted she would ever see again. These last few days had developed totally unexpectedly. Filia was certain that even Lina had been unprepared for what had happened. She hadn't thought to mention to Lina to collect their belongings while she and Gourry were at the palace. Would Lina remember? More importantly, was Lina going to be okay or was riding into a trap? Or was she?

"This route will take us most the way," Valgaav told her. "There's a village of beast men at the foot of the mountains. They're friendly to Capriones, mostly. We can stay there tonight."

"Beast men?" Her lip curled with distaste, but not alarm. She could be poised, when she tried. "Well, I could use a cup of tea."

Filia was particularly thankful not to be climbing mountains on horseback in the dark. "Do they know you?"

"No. I've never been there before, but Xelloss has."

"I see," she huffed, nodding as she came to terms with their situation. "So this is all secondhand knowledge from Xelloss. Well, at least I can be satisfied that I had been correct assuming you were not a seasoned traveler."

She could see his back stiffen against the darker shadows of the hills and knew she was correct. "You don't get out much, do you? Is it Zelas who restricts your movements, or Xelloss?"

"Not Xelloss," he said with a touch of contempt. "I've done some traveling with him, mostly."

"But never alone because Zelas doesn't trust you."

"Would you?"

His expression in the darkness was mostly lost on her, but she guessed he was leering at her.

"I am now, aren't I? But not if I were relying on you to do something against your will, then I'd be stupid not to take precautions."

"You've got that mace of yours hidden somewhere on you, I'll bet."

"Yes, that's one kind of precaution."

"Where?" he said, his voice softening. "Under your dress?"

"Well . . . yes, strapped to my thigh," her voice cracked, giving away her discomfort.

She found Valgaav physically attractive. He was nice and tall, lean, strong, but the arrogant look in his eyes, his expression of contempt, and his unmasked aspect of resentment put her off.

"Shouldn't we be putting some distance between us and the settlement?" she asked starchily.

"Yeah, we'll ride two hours then rest."

"I'm not a lightweight," Filia sniffed. "I may ride side-saddle, but I can ride. The road is good, so let's get to our destination."

"All right. If you change your mind, just shout."

They rode fast-paced into the night and never stopped until they reached the outskirts of the village of Madiran. Filia rode well and appreciated a man who did also, which Valgaav did, expertly. Filia bridled her horse when she heard the hoof beats of the other horse slow suddenly. Valgaav checked his horse and pointed off to the right.

"Do you see a campfire?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Filia hadn't noticed one before, but she saw it now. "Who lives out here?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"We're close to Madiran, the beast men's village. Could be folks from there."

"Or ruffians," Filia said. "Wait. Smell that?"

He drew closer. "Your perfume."

"Incense!" she hissed. "Those are Rezo's cleansers! Valgaav we must do something!"

Valgaav hadn't had his courage tested in a fight, Filia suspected, not a life-threatening one, and he didn't appear eager to have it tested now.

"If we ride fast, we'll get to the village without being seen," he said, looking into the dark.

"What if they are on their way to scourge the village? Or on their way to your settlement? We can't let them get the chance. They don't know about us, so we can catch them unawares."

"Well sure, if Lina were here she could pull off one of those Dragon Slave spells and wipe them all out."

"I know magic and so do you–"

"But so do they, right? That's what everyone says. They use magic to get rid of the lesser magic users, and that would be us."

"Not all of them can use magic, you naive boy! There's only maybe fifteen men moving around out there. Of them there may be one or two magic users and not especially great ones. My guess is they have just what they think they need to attack that little village, and we have something they don't."

He was peering out into the night, a curious look on his face. Filia smiled knowing how he must be wondering how she could have counted the black smudges moving around, and adding to that how much more she knew about everything, Filia knew his manhood was taking a beating.

Seemingly, he gave up his attempt to count the moving figures around the camp, and asked, "You gonna tell me what that is?"

"Certainly. We have crossover magic." Filia smiled at his puzzled look. "You know black magic--"

"And you practice white. So what?"

"Wrong again. I don't cast white magic. Don't you pay attention to anything? Amelia and Sylphiel do. I practice holy magic."

"I pay plenty of attention," he said, sulkily. "So, when have you ever done that? Not out on the practice field."

"Naturally not. I didn't need to practice what I do perfectly fine already. And I particularly didn't want Xelloss see what I can do."

"Uh, huh. Some priestess you are, not being able to heal people, or trust them."

"I certainly can heal people! How ignorant you are!"

She could feel his heat rise, his breathing deepen, as he took offense at her tone. And since her healing magic was mediocre and she didn't want him to think she was a braggart, she drew back and said more gently, "Which is to be expected, I guess, being brought up for so long in the company of . . . the Capriones. For your information, holy magic is part of my priestess training, although I concentrated my efforts on learning offensive castings, not healing. Lina knows, of course; we've been friends for quite awhile. That's how I know about the crossover magic. She and I have done it before."

"So, this crossover stuff is . . . ?" he asked, curiosity overcoming the sting to his pride.

"We combine a spell of yours with mine. Say, I enchant your sword then you cast a black magic spell on it." Her eyes glittered and she grinned diabolically. "It will blow your boots off."

"I hope you don't mean that literally," he said, chuckling at her intensity. "All right. So, we ought to hide the horses. Over there, those rocks. That would give us some height advantage, too. We could set off a fire over that way as a diversion then fire off . . . What?"

"You aren't bad as a strategist, but let's get moving while you tell me the rest."

They tied up the horses on the far side of the rock outcropping, then climbed partway up to a ledge, using muted light spells to keep their footing.

"A good thing they didn't think to put their own lookout on this. I would have," Valgaav said.

"Rezo's cleansers aren't picked for their intelligence, just for their ability to follow orders and for their cruelty. They seem to be assembling."

"Getting ready to mount an attack or go to bed? Hard to tell," Valgaav said.

"No, it isn't, look!" Filia uttered close to his ear. "They are going to sneak up on the village and burn it down. They are gathering up torches. We must act now."

"I'll set up a diversion . . ." he began.

"Can you hit them from here with one of your spells?"

"Yeah."

"So set up your diversion in the copse from the other side, but after we attack from here, that way they might think the assault is coming from the trees."

"Which was what I was gonna say," he said sharply. "Can you attach one of your spells to a Flare Arrow?"

"Yes, but won't that give away our position?"

"I gotta trick," Valgaav said as he created an enchanted arrow.

"Now," he whispered, adding additional spells.

He floated the charged 'arrow' into the shadow of the rocks while Filia added her casting to it.

"Done?" he asked.

Filia nodded without taking her eyes off the powerful casting. She gasped when it vanished.

"What did you do?"

Valgaav completed wide arm movements, and then hunkered down beside her.

"Black magic delay spell. It cloaks the spell in a miasma which will hold it for about . . . one more minute. I pushed it out over the camp."

Filia stared out into the darkness. "Invisible... and you didn't even use power words to set it off."

"Yeah," he smiled with pride. "I got my ways, plus it's night. Close your eyes, so the light doesn't blind you. I've got a smaller one to get going for the diversion."

Moments later, the explosion sent shockwaves through the earth. The horses whinnied in fright as the night sky lit up. Seconds later, a tree in the copse went up in flames.

"That's our cue to move in," he shouted over the din of screams and hollering voices. "Stay to my right."

Filia was about to argue his taking command that way, then realized that he needed the experience if he was going to convince Milgasia to entrust their people to him. With her mace in her hand, he followed Valgaav into the fray.

With a sickening crack, her mace smashed an invisible face, sending the man to the ground, leaving Filia time to cast a holy spell onto Valgaav's sword before her next swing.

Valgaav was excited by the additional power the holy magic pumped into his spells. His sword slashed though two men, excess energy spinning off into three others, frying them on the spot.

"Take that, you miserable scum of the earth!" Filia screamed at a man in wine-red, monks' robes, positively a member of the Red Guard, swinging her mace into his mid section.

Valgaav spun around, unsure whether or not she was yelling at him. He watched in horror and fascination as Filia kicked the man's head backwards, freeing her bloodied mace head from his internal organs.

"We haven't knocked off the sorcerers! Go, Go!" Filia yelled at him.

Valgaav grinned viciously and growled, running for the commander of the Red Guard force, sword upraised and blazing with black magic. Filia automatically covered his back, a duty she had always performed for Lina, contributing a holy magic shield in front as well as fending off attackers. She estimated they had killed two-thirds of the guard, but none of them had used a magic attack.

With sudden, breathtaking force, she was thrown to the ground as her shield repelled a powerful spell. Valgaav was still standing, teeth bared, trading parries with the Red Guard commander, who was stabbing back with an ensorcelled blade. Valgaav's strength wouldn't hold out much longer if she couldn't maintain the barrier, but in order to supplement his spell with one of her own, she would eventually have to drop the shielding.

"Crossover!" she screamed in hopes that he was intelligent enough to figure out what to do.

Remarkably, he was. The moment he felt the surge of power from her added spell, he brought up his weapon, and then lunged, adding all of his weight to the attack. The spells clashed in a terrific flash of light and roar and crackle of spent energy. Valgaav faltered only a fraction of a second, feeling the loss of Filia's protective barrier, but then returned his concentration to his own casting and cut through the sorcerer's shielding, past his breastplate, and embedded his blade deep into the commander's chest.

Filia heard a rise of shouts coming their way. More men? She was horrified at the thought. How could they have missed the additional forces? Where had they come from? She twisted around, staring bleakly at the stand of trees, where the fire continued to spread, hopping from one dry, cedar to the next. Of course, more men had been encamped in the copse. How could she have been so blind not to have noticed, or considered it?

**End Capriones, Chapter Eighteen**


	19. Acceptance and Misgivings

**_Capriones 8/12/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Nineteen -- Acceptance and Misgivings **

Filia's eyes flickered from the savage forms of the new marauders back to Valgaav, who was withdrawing his sword from the corpse of the slain sorcerer. At least she and Valgaav had performed their planned attack well!

"Valgaav! Coming our way!" she cried out in desperation, her pretty face twisted in anguish.

Valgaav tensed, preparing for the worst, and then brushed the hair back from his eyes, revealing to her a smile.

"Stop that!" she cried out. "We have to think up something fast! How did we not see them before?"

"Look again." He plucked at his shirt as a hint.

"Oh Val... You're right, they aren't robed!"

The newcomers were in fact attacking the few remaining men of the Red Guard, chasing them down and executing them on the spot.

"But who were they? Capriones?" she asked, knowing that it was impossible.

"Oh, you can do better than that, priestess. They're not even half-human. Those are men from the village, beast men. They must have been aware of the cleansers before we were. We just saved them some trouble, that's all. Let's go back and get our horses. See what they've got to say."

"Who the horses?" Filia asked, suddenly feeling very stupid indeed.

Valgaav rolled his eyes. "Yes, the horses. Right smart talkers, horses. And being that we Caprione folk knows their language makes us damned clever, eh?"

Filia felt her face flush red, embarrassed by her foolish question and his uncharacteristic mockery of the common people's way of talking.

"That's unnecessary!" she said with a snort. "I was just confused. That's all. I expended a lot of energy and it left me a little light-headed. Obviously, you meant that we should ride out to speak to the beast men, which is perfectly reasonable."

Filia took a few steps, but Valgaav was in her way, smiling, and looking down at her.

"Most men like their ladies to be charming," he told her.

"I really don't care for charm." She looked directly at him. "I never possessed, nor admired it in others. It always seems chameleon to me, and I cannot be sure what color the animal underneath might be really."

Valgaav laughed, and he found himself warming to her honesty. "Ho! So that's why you hate Xelloss so much. You see right past his charm!"

"And through the thin veil of what amounts to be yours! Oh look, there's a, ah, man coming our way and he's bringing our horses."

Filia turned her hot face away from Valgaav, who was unfazed by her weak attempt at insulting him. She had complemented him when giving her impassioned speech and Zelgadiss had confirmed her honesty, so Valgaav knew that Filia admired him, regardless. He imagined someone had hurt her badly in the past and now she shielded herself from all forms of attack with harsh words and insults. She wasn't like Lina at all. Lina was inexperienced.

"Hello!" called out the approaching beast man.

The beast men were grateful to the strangers for their courage and generosity in battle. One, a man with the head of a wolf, took particular care letting Filia know just how obliged his was.

"You're not thinking of going up that mountain tonight, are you? You'll break your neck or one of your horses' legs. For your bravery and service stopping the assault on our village, you must let us put you up at our finest inn for the night. And dinner too, my personal guest."

His tongue lolled to the side as he panted, giving him a lopsided look. Filia was afraid he might lick her, like dogs did, something she hated, and so she grabbed his hand, or paw, and shook it.

"Oh, you are very welcome, Mr. Er...?"

"Dilgear, miss."

"Mr. Dilgear, thank you. Those cleansers are nasty men. It was our pleasure to get rid of them."

"And we'll be happy to accept the offer on the lodgings for tonight," Valgaav put in. "Consider any debt we've had with you even."

"Ah, you Capriones . . . Always working the deals, settling the score, and with such courtesy! Just accept our appreciation and forget it."

Filia bristled and nearly corrected his misinformation that she was Caprione, but a warning look from Valgaav silenced her.

"You'll like the food," Valgaav said to her aloud. "Vegetarian."

One glance at the bull-like man leading their horses, and Filia sniffed. "I should think so."

Not long after, they enjoyed a delicious, although simple meal shared with a couple of the beast men. Bread and greens, a bowl packed with vegetables in a bubbling, herbal broth, and honey wine was satisfying and nourished Filia's soul like no meal she had enjoyed since leaving her clan. Knowing that they were safe for the night, Filia was ready to turn in for the night.

"Before I retire," she said to Valgaav. "I wanted to tell you how impressed I was with..."

"That's all right," he stopped her. "We made a great team. It felt good."

"Yes, it did, didn't it?" she smiled generously. "Well, good night then."

"Yeah, sleep well."

Filia nodded and closed the door to her room. She fell into a deep and dreamless sleep immediately.

Valgaav remained restless a while longer. The excitement of the battle was still in his blood, although giving way to other urges as exhaustion set in. He freed his mind to wander at will, touching on events in the battle, but repeatedly returning to his companion for the journey. He tried to clear his mind of everything and sleep, only to discover he was trapped in a labyrinth. He had no choice but to sort out his feelings for Filia that night.

He could recall every detail of their friendship, if that was the term for it. Sometimes it was almost enmity. He had loathed Filia to begin with, admiring her only for how much she nettled Xelloss. Even now she frequently angered him with her opinionated manner and her bossy behavior. There was nothing romantic about her, nothing feminine or appealing. She didn't treat him with deference or try to be gentle or pleasing.

Now, that wasn't entirely true. In a pinch, there could be no one stronger than her, no one braver. He valued those qualities more than he could measure, and they also infuriated him. He was so much more attracted to women that were fun, uncritical, sweet. He could think of several in the camp who knew just when to speak, how to flatter and laugh; who knew how to be weak in the little things it was so easy for him to supply; and those ladies who at the same time were in the position to improve his position in the clan. Even Zelas' demands didn't require him to give up much of himself to accomplish.

Filia, however, asked that he sacrifice so much, whether the cost would prove to be too much he didn't know. She challenged the fabric of his nature even down to the content of his dreams. He had a dream the night before where he led a party of painted warriors through a narrow, rocky pass, on a foray the nature of which he couldn't remember, but had left him breathless with excitement. He had scrapped his plans to marry Zelas to attain status as her heir, if that had ever really been an option open to him, knowing that it hadn't been because of any deep-seated belief in Xelloss' cause or at his insistence. He was here because of Filia.

_But why,_ he wondered?

What was it about her that so captivated him, driving him to leave his comfortable lifestyle and charge off on this fool's errand? He pictured her as she had been, standing a few feet away from him in the heat of battle. She wasn't young. She was still unmarried, a most unusual circumstance for women her age and station, which he took to be nearing thirty, older than him. She was not breathtakingly beautiful, but there was serenity in her which lent her an overall appearance of loveliness. Her eyes were steady and straight, and pure blue. Her fair hair was worn pulled back beneath a heavy headdress of her shrine, and at her wrist was tied a pink ribbon with a bow.

_Why not? _

She improved the more he thought about her, and while wondering about the significance of the pink ribbon, he fell asleep.

(O)

After the battle in the forest detained, dirtied, and exhausted them, Lina and Gourry had been in no condition to enter a palace in the wee hours of the morning. Who knows what indications of a recent fight might mean to some curious spectator, or who might pay for such information? On the outskirts of the city, Gourry changed route, taking them to a small out of the way roadside inn. While Lina rented a room with two beds, he saw to it that the horse was well cared for. Only a few hours before the dawning of a new day and weary to the bone, both young people tumbled into their beds.

Lina and Gourry awoke groggy-eyed and later than they had intended. They took a meager breakfast, and then spent the remainder of the morning cleaning the dust, blood, and scorch marks from their faces and clothing.

"You look better," Lina told him, wiping a smudge off her cloak near a splatter of blood she'd been unable to remove. "Damn! And it was brand-new, too! Well, with my hair down it won't be noticed. Eh, don't worry, I'm keeping my hair hidden until we get inside the palace. But, let's hope its cloudy and dark out today."

Gourry purchased lunch and gave Lina a hand up onto the horse again. Without further delay, the companions continued their journey.

"So, you think they'll serve us a big dinner at the palace?" Gourry asked.

"Oh, yeah. All you can eat and delivered right to you at the table. They call them 'courses' and there's lots of them, I guarantee."

"That sounds great, Lina. I could sure use a few courses right now."

"Me, too. Wanna hear about the last meal Phil served there?"

"Yeah, that'll make the time go by," he chuckled.

Lina described in lavish detail every dish she'd ever had, and the miles flew by. Their expectations were high for a sumptuous dinner at the palace, but their conversation on the topic died as they entered the capital city of the kingdom of Seyruun in the late afternoon.

The streets were quieter than Lina had expected. The noise and spirit reminded Lina of what the larger more metropolitan Atlas City had been with its constant bustle of life; that is, before Cardinal Rezo snuffed out the city's vital spark. The contrast, between the Atlas City of the past and what it had deteriorated to today, both sickened and terrified Lina. She remembered visiting Atlas City when it was the teeming capital of an empire with its opulence and squalor, the bursting confidence of its trade, and the tide of wealth and expansion.

She thought back to her home, years ago. News of Cardinal Rezo's "New Order" in Atlas City had hit Lina's nearby birthplace of Zephillia hard, since it housed many dark magic sorcerers. Lina's sister, Luna, joined Rezo's youth corps, the Cephied Knights, but as a spy to undermine his efforts. Lina chose a different path. She had been forced to defy and then lash out against Rezo, his followers, and his Red Guard. Lina was too young to let the fear of dying get in the way of her rebellion. She vowed to use her magic prowess to the fullest to achieve her own concept of a "just end," which was to retain the freedom to cast magic, or die trying. Her renown as a sorceress and of a rebel spread with the Red Guard's vicious slogans, kindling hatred and fear of magic users.

"Inverse witch decimates shrine – Burn Witches before they burn you!"

"You have no defense against them – Turn in Sorcerers to the Red Guard!"

By the time of the fall of Sairaag, she had became an outlaw taking jobs where she could get them from those that still trusted her and had need of her services or from those who hadn't heard of her yet. As Rezo's reach extended, the "cleansings" continued; more magic users were rounded up and exterminated, followed by the destruction of more villages and cities. When she last fled its confines, Atlas City was a glorious ruin sinking into a gentle despair under Cardinal Rezo's dominion.

Now, as they rode through Seyruun Lina recognized the signs; Seyruun was dying as well. The magic that gave the world its vigor was suppressed and replaced by despair and hopelessness. The past was all around as an aching memory filled with beauty that crumbled.

Lina and Gourry rode along with a few other travelers in the autumn sunlight over the White Magic Capital of the World's famous marble pavements. They observed wanderers and expatriates talking in hushed tones, while local Seyruunians went about their daily business, outwardly docile, seemingly apathetic. Cardinal Rezo's elite Red Guard strolled with casual arrogance around the streets and squares of the city they did not love.

Lina tugged at her hood, securing her hair out of sight, not wishing to draw attention to them with a telltale wisp of red hair. Gourry stared straight ahead, steering them toward the palace, whose spires could be seen from anywhere in the city. Silently, both vowed to change the balance, starting with Prince Philionel.

They arrived at the magnificent entrance to the palace just as the early dusk was falling. The fretted and carved facades of the palaces facing the west were bathed in gold. Through shadowed windows shone the flickering of thousands of candles in salons and ballrooms. A groom took Gourry's horse, admiring the animal's powerful frame and mild manner. Gourry was about to advise him as to the steed's care, when an armed palace guard signaled Gourry to enter through the main gates.

"Don't worry, Gourry," Lina assured him. "They treat horses great here."

As she and Gourry approached the palace entrance, the doorman drew to attention at his post. He stood taller than Gourry, height being the most important attribute for his job, and from that advantage briefly peered down his nose at Lina, who appeared to be a novice valet, at best.

"Yes?" he directed, finally, at Gourry.

"Tell Phil that Lina's here to see him," Lina commanded.

The doorman raised a single eyebrow in question, but continued to address Gourry.

"Are you expected, sir?" the doorman asked him.

Lina pushed closer, demanding attention. "No, but my mother wasn't expecting me either. That's not the point. Tell the prince that Lina Inverse is here to see him."

"Lina...Inverse... Oh my," the doorman said, clearing his throat nervously. "Certainly. That can be arranged. Ah, but you must leave your weapons at the door. Palace rules. I'm certain you can understand."

"What was that? My weapons? Okay," Lina said lightly, handing her sword over without a fight.

Magic was her best weapon, and they couldn't take that from her so simply. Gourry, however, wouldn't part with his sword, not that Lina could blame him. His sword of light was pretty spectacular, but rules were rules. She was about to punch him senseless and take the sword herself, when she had a sudden and clever idea.

"It's not really a sword," she told the guard. "Just the hilt. Show'em, Gourry."

Gourry's confused expression and lack of response frustrated Lina to the point nearly regretting not having brained him earlier. She reached over and covertly pressed the button unlatching the steel blade from the hilt. Grabbing the ornamented pommel, she pulled it up and handed the hilt over.

"See? Just a handle." She shrugged meaningfully. "Empty scabbard. Long, sad story. Why he wants to wear that thing is a wonder to us all, but that's the way some guys are about their favorite toys. So, you gonna let us in, or what?"

Gourry was allowed to keep it, and they were permitted entry. They stepped past blazing torches, the smell of smoke heavy in the air, as the doors swung open by liveried footman revealed a vast hall, grand yet so sad within its malevolently-occupied decadence.

Lina and Gourry were led through the great arched doorway. To either side rose matching flights of stairs. Lina remembered being told by friendlier doormen, in kinder days that the stairs to the right led to the family residences. She had stayed in rooms to the left. They continued onto the main room, which was so large it stretched from one side of the building to the other. It was filled with light, gigantic mirrors reflecting the glitter from many tens of crystal-hung candelabra. Lina could see the discomfort in the set of Gourry's jaw. She tossed him a reassuring smile, while unconsciously straightening her shoulders.

"I've been here before. Phil's an okay guy."

Gourry smiled back down at her, but he was decidedly uncomfortable in the setting. A servant appeared, asked for their full names, and then indicated that they should accompany him. As they past a casual grouping of dignitaries on their way to the throne, the look of concern remained in Gourry's eyes. He ignored the curious stares, focused on the grandiose chair, and found the man he figured they had come to see.

"That him?" Gourry asked, blinking at the throne fleetingly.

"Yeah."

"Mr. Gourry Gabriev accompanying Miss Lina Inverse," the servant said, presenting the pair to Prince Philionel.

"He's Amelia's father?"

"Yep!"

"Xelloss' got his work cut out for him, then."

"Zelgadiss, too," Lina added with a grin.

**End Capriones, Chapter Nineteen**.


	20. Prince Philionel

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty -- Prince Philionel**

The prince was physically very large, several inches taller than most men, but not greater than Gourry, broad shouldered, powerful and, for royalty, rather savage looking. His thick, unruly, black hair fell forward a little and flew about unrestrained when he gestured. Usually he was very amiable, making frequent jokes, but today his bushy eyebrows were drawn together in a dark scowl.

"So, we were expected," Lina said.

"So, you come back empty-handed?" Phil said mimicking her.

"It's all a process," Lina told him dismissively. "Didn't you read my note? The princess is part of the game, too. I put that all in there, I think. Anyway, she's fine but is all gung-ho to help fight the cardinal, who is out to wipe out every magic user in the world to ensure he's the only one, then he can control all the kingdoms single handedly!"

"But can you prove it?"

"Beyond a reasonable doubt?" she asked, opening her eyes very wide. "Doesn't that beg the question as to what is reasonable? I'm convinced of it!"

Phil sat back on his padded throne, crossing his legs and smiling courteously.

"Then convince me of it, Miss Lina Inverse."

Suddenly, she threw back her head and burst into raucous laughter.

"Yeah, I like you Phil. You are so White Shrine, but I'm sure that's all to the good."

She drew a deep breath and began to explain. "On the one hand, we have all these kingdoms spread out all over this whole land which have existed as separate little entities, speaking the same language, having pretty much the same culture, and using magic to make that possible. On the other hand, there's the cardinal's forces use censorship and lies to subvert and a standing army to destroy and control what they're doing. Rezo's uniting them by force 'for their own good,' he says, to protect them from the evils of the world, which are magic users, Capriones, the poor beast men, any non-White-Shrine folks, shadows in the dark, you name it! Magic users all over are being wiped out. The Cephied tribes fled to their mountain retreats after their royalty were executed."

"The Capriones, too," Gourry put in. "Don't forget to mention them."

"Yes," she said with a tiny frown forming between her brows. "And speaking of the Capriones . . ."

Phil interrupted. "The Capriones are heathens. We cannot support them."

"Er . . . Not heathens . . ." Lina paused to think of the right way to put it. "They have beliefs, but for them religion is a personal experience. They think the common man can talk to a god, without the intervention or interpretation of others. They need no priests to intercede on their behalf. But . . ."

"All right! We are one under the Mother of us all, the Lord of Nightmares, but the Capriones are not White Shrine, which brings me back to the beginning. My darling daughter, the light of my life, where is she? Why have you not brought her back?"

"Grrr . . ." Lina growled like an annoyed animal. "I've told you. I've been trying to tell you over and over. She's married. Amelia married the prince of the Capriones, Xelloss, last night!"

"Well, now that's not entirely so . . ." Gourry interjected.

"A symbolic gesture, Phil," Lina said more loudly. "Although most everyone believes it's a done deal. Anyway–"

"Say, Lina, isn't that the same necklace that Xelloss gave Amelia?" Gourry pointed to the garish collection of gemstones and coins draped across the chest of the prince amid other decorations from his past military career.

It sure was, Lina thought. She had wondered about the one Amelia was wearing at her wedding. Was it a fake? Possibly, but then Xelloss wouldn't let a valuable heirloom leave the Capriones, as Zelgadiss had suggested to her. It made more sense that his was the fake.

Lina stomped on Gourry's foot. "Shhhh!"

"My darling daughter, married? To a prince? Why wasn't I told about this? What land does this prince rule? To a zealot, you say?" Phil asked.

"Not 'zealot,' although he has his causes. His name's _Xelloss_ and he is the male head of the Capriones, so you could say he rules whatever land's under his feet. But the point I'm trying to make here is that it's not a marriage Seyruun law recognizes so, in reality, Amelia's not really married to him. That's where the symbolism comes in–"

"My daughter has engaged in a mock marriage, without my consent, with some leader of some wandering heathens?"

Lina could tell that the man was getting all heated up and it would be her job to diffuse the situation before it was too late. Gourry had the same idea, only he blurted out the wrong thing.

"Oh, don't you worry. She didn't sleep with Xelloss," he said seriously. "She spent the night with the man she really loves, Zelgadiss."

Gourry looked so pleased with himself that Lina was sorry, slightly, to have to bash his mouth shut. Prince Phil's face had darkened to deep plum, regardless.

"Err . . ." Lina began uncertainly. "That didn't come out quite right. Amelia and Sylphiel, another White Shrine healer of great skill, were going to cure Zelgadiss of his curse. Zelgadiss is a shaman who–"

"Zelgadiss, that name is familiar," Phil said, rolling the name around in his head, and by that process, cooling off. "Don't think I've ever met him. No . . . he's wanted by Cardinal Rezo's men. They've been searching for him. Have warrants plastered all over the damned place for him. You, too, of course."

"Phil, listen," Lina said, waving off the previous conversation. "It must make you feel impossibly safe and comfortable living here in the heart of a wonderful city which has friendly ties stretching all around the world. However, just name a kingdom and the Red Guard has cleared all the magic users there, carried by your navy, or the one from Atlas City, subduing the natives and teaching them the ways of the White Shrine whether they wished to learn it or not, or disposed of anyone who doesn't sign on with them. Like the Cepheid tribes in the mountains–"

"And the beast men, don't forget them, Lina," Gourry added.

"Right," she said with a push to his chest reminding him to let her do all the talking. "And that includes the Capriones, a peaceful people who like to keep to themselves but have become Rezo's scapegoats for everything people are afraid of because the Capriones have the courage to stand up to Rezo and fight."

Her voice was charged with emotion. What she said was true, and it startled Philionel and made him feel suddenly artificial, violated, and rather pompous. He heard a discreet clearing of the throat over his shoulder, and turned to see his beloved brother at his elbow.

(O)

Xelloss gave Zelgadiss and Amelia as long together in the privacy of his tent as possible without pushing his luck and having his subterfuge exposed. He didn't trust his disguise to work in the light of day for long, so he dashed head down to their tent– his tent- brushing past the sleepy looking boy on guard duty who, in turn, scarcely noticed the "shaman" out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry, but better me showing up unannounced than mother discovering our deception," Xelloss whispered, by way of explanation.

"Naturally," Zelgadiss said, unperturbed. "We were dressed and expecting you."

Amelia surprised Xelloss by squeezing him in an excited hug. "Thank you, Mr. Xelloss, for everything. Like a fairytale, just like you promised. I'll never forget what you've done for us."

Xelloss' eyebrows rose into his straight, dark bangs. "Memorable night, I take it?" he said, his smile wry.

"Mr. Xelloss!" she said, her tone angry, but her face breaking into a smile. "I was being serious."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I understand and you are welcome. I'd say it was my pleasure, but since it was Zel's and not mine, well–"

Zelgadiss sighed audibly, and changed the subject wishing to save Amelia from further embarrassment. He had loved his princess and considered her his wife, so now it was his duty to protect her from Xelloss teasing.

"We should exchange clothes quickly," he said. "Sylphiel will soon be here, and it is already getting crowded."

Amelia smiled at him gratefully and she turned her back, although Xelloss had already dropped his cloak and was ripping off the beige tunic belonging to Zel, giving her the opportunity to notice how nicely toned his body was. It was, however, the man inside the scared skin that appealed to her. Her heart was filled with Zelgadiss and no room for another.

"Now, if only we can fix things between you and Miss Lina," Amelia said. "Then possibly we could have a real fairytale ending, the romantic part."

"I believe that's possible to do also, but first we have your Mr. Zelgadiss to fix up! We'll go to your place, where your supplies are and pick Sylphiel up along the way," Xelloss said.

"Makes sense," Zel replied, trading pants. "Lina found out somehow?"

"Oh, my...well, yes, just before she took off with Gourry she snuck over to your tent. She was going to invite you along with her and Gourry, and found me instead." Xelloss smiled a sly little smile.

"Nice girl," Zelgadiss said.

"I think so," Xelloss agreed, hiding his flushed face.

Amelia and Zelgadiss traded knowing looks. Xelloss was self-conscious and finding it difficult to express his feelings about Lina.

"Xelloss, finding it in your heart to love and be loved is wonderful. I'm happy for you," Amelia said.

His expression was a little sickly, as if her outpouring of emotion was too much for him.

"Thank you," he said simply, ending the discussion.

Once dressed, Xelloss summoned the servant who had been guarding the entry to his tent all night.

"One more job for you, then you can take the rest of the day off."

"Thank you, prince. What can I do?" the boy asked.

"Zelgadiss has invited us for breakfast at his tent. Would you have some trays delivered over there for me?" Xelloss asked.

"Certainly! Now?"

"Yes, then get some rest." Xelloss winked at him, causing the boy to blush before nodding and hurrying off.

"Okay, guys, let's go get Sylphiel and get down to the business of the day."

Food eaten and cleared away, the four friends began the process which they hoped would remove Zelgadiss' disfiguring scars. They collected and ordered all the prescribed potions and herbs and turned to the applicative pages in the Claire Bible.

"The pointed ears and silver hair can go, too," Zelgadiss reminded them with a wry smile. "But if the superior hearing stays, I wouldn't mind."

"Oh, I don't know if we can be so specific, Zelgadiss," Sylphiel said in all seriousness.

"I think Mr. Zelgadiss was joking, Miss Sylphiel," Amelia said.

Sylphiel made a pouty face at him. "You are too sarcastic for me," she said, and then scanned the relevant pages of the Claire Bible.

"Done?" Xelloss asked, holding out his hand for the book. "I'll keep that safe."

The moment she placed the book in his hand, it disappeared, whether by slight-of-hand tricks or magic, you couldn't tell, causing her to gasp and move away.

Zelgadiss shook his head, amused by Xelloss' antics, as he settled horizontally on his bed, cloak and shoes off. Staring up at Amelia and Xelloss, he said, "If you're done with the theatrics, I'm ready. No, wait. Someone's coming."

"Hello!"

"Mother, come in," Xelloss said, recognizing her voice.

It wasn't his tent, but she would expect her son to address her and not Zelgadiss, whom she regarded as his property. Xelloss stepped closer to Amelia and placed his hand on her shoulder in an affectionate gesture at the last moment.

"So here's where everyone is gathered, I see. Pleasant night?" she looked at Amelia and then to Xelloss, their expressions must have satisfied her curiosity because she rattled on before either could answer her. "Well, not everyone is here."

"Valgaav and Filia left the settlement last night," Xelloss said. If he noticed her rising temper, his only reaction was to be calm. "An action you approved which will bring the mountain Cepheid tribes to our aid."

"If they are successful," Zelas snapped. "Yes, their absence is obvious. I want to know where Lina Inverse is. She's not one to casually miss a meal."

Xelloss smiled in spite of himself. "No, she wouldn't do that. You're right. She was restless in camp. Gourry has taken her for a ride and likely a picnic. I wouldn't expect them back until nightfall, though most likely not until tomorrow."

Zelas' eyes narrowed, searching her son's for a possible deception, but since there was none, she found none. Xelloss hadn't told her the complete story, nor had he lied outright.

"I shall expect her at dinner then," she said. "Or breakfast at latest."

A smile returned to her face, chilling Amelia and Sylphiel to the bone with its evil intent. "They would make a smart match," Zelas said as her eyes riveted to Xelloss'. "I approve of it, should he ask you first. You will encourage them in the matter."

Sylphiel pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress a gasp. She was engaged to Gourry apparently without his mother's approval or, obviously, even her knowledge. And now it was Lina the woman expected him to marry! What could she do? Or Gourry? Xelloss was the eldest brother, the most powerful, and he was afraid of defying Zelas. Certainly Gourry could not.

Zelas noticed the reaction, relishing the shock and anguish her decisions seemed to bring the priestess visitors. "What is the matter dear?"

Sylphiel felt Xelloss straighten his back next to her, fearing for what she might say, so she did her quickest thinking. "Oh, I... it's just... Well, you see, I don't believe that it is right to force loveless marriages upon anyone, even political ones, ah... ma'am," she added in deference to Zelas' position.

"Who says it would be loveless?" the woman asked, laughing. "You innocent priestesses must think we're barbarians!"

"Only you," Zelgadiss hissed in a low voice.

Xelloss said loud enough to cover Zel's muttering, "Gourry is performing his duty to me, his brother, entertaining our guest while I attend this procedure."

"Procedure?" Zelas' attention was diverted to the gathering closest to her.

"We are going to rid Mr. Zelgadiss of his scars," Amelia said.

"How thoughtful of you, but impossible. You will have to kill him to do that. Still, if it gives you the satisfaction of being useful, go ahead." Zelas smiled dazzlingly then left the tent with a swish of long skirts and tinkle of bracelets.

Sylphiel let out her breath. "I forgot she'd be my mother-in-law. And it seems Gourry-dear forgot to tell her about us. Xelloss, what should I do?"

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty.**


	21. Zelgadiss Revealed

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-One -- Zelgadiss Revealed**

Xelloss tenderly kissed Sylphiel's cheek, to her astonishment, and then pulled back, smiling.

"You said exactly the right thing to Zelas. I couldn't have done better. Let her think what she will; it will keep her amused and excuse Lina's absence. It's far safer for us to have mother think Lina and Gourry are fooling around than that they are off the settlement. It's easy enough to fix everything later. Gourry could have his fling, shall we say, think better of it, and become engaged to you, for instance. Besides, Zelas can tell a headstrong girl like Lina's not everyone's cup of tea."

He chuckled to himself as Sylphiel blushed, not from the kiss, but from his insinuation that Gourry and Lina could become lovers, if even only in Zelas' eyes, and smiled at her foolishness. Still, he did say everything would work out in the end.

"Thank you," she said. "That means a lot to me."

"Good," he said. "Because I look forward to having you as a sister and I shouldn't like to murder my brother to get my girl back."

"Your girl? You mean Miss Lina? Are you sure she's attracted to you? Do you like her that much, er...?" Sylphiel blurted out, and then realizing how rude it was for her to pry, turned bright pink. "I'm sorry! It's none of my business."

Xelloss laughed at her discomfort. "It's all right, Sylphiel. I do love Lina with all my heart and I know she's, well, attracted to me, as you so gently put it. It's not something I can expose out right. Not yet."

Xelloss' laugh died on his lips, as his chest clenched in pain and sorrow filled his heart. He was stunned at how deeply he felt for Lina and how much he missed her. The memory of their parting remained fresh in his mind and her kiss indelibly etched on his lips. If only she was already safely returned; he would trade anything for that assurance.

"Because your mother still thinks you and I are married?" Amelia asked.

"That is an important reason for keeping my secret, yes."

"How are you going to tell her? You'll have to when Lina comes back. You can't keep pretending. I don't know how long I can!"

"We will have Rezo to contend with soon. Hopefully, destroying him and his Red Guard will satisfy her, and I'll be forgiven," Xelloss said, his face pinched with worry.

Zelgadiss was excited to get underway. The longer they waited the more nervous he become. His rising apprehension over the outcome of the 'procedure' tested his patience at last.

"Amelia, Sylphiel, if you would please get started? You can discuss Xelloss' love life after I'm back to normal."

"Excellent idea!" Xelloss said, grasping for a diversion from his gloomy thoughts.

"Oh, yes, certainly we can," Amelia said without hesitation. "First, Miss Sylphiel and I will apply the healing spells. As we encounter the black magic ones, Miss Sylphiel will undo them, if possible, or ask Mr. Xelloss, and then we have some alternate ideas using spells from the book."

"Then get on with it, please," Zel said.

Amelia was not offended by his shortness because she understood how nervous he must be feeling. She closed her eyes in concentration as healing rays of glowing energy radiated from her hands and over Zelgadiss' prone body. She began at his head, while Sylphiel started at his feet. From time to time, one of them would stop and brew more infusions of herbs, which Zel drank-- the _Bonemend_ leaves Lina had bought at the market being one of the herbs used.

Sylphiel applied a steady stream of magic, progressing from his feet to his legs, pausing intermittently to peal away a trouser leg to reveal bare skin that was smooth with a healthy skin-tone. Amelia's hands moved with excruciating slowness over his face, taking care to remove every trace of scar tissue as she moved along. The ears didn't change, nor did his hair, but when she had reached his neck his face was flawless including the chiseled jaw and well-shaped nose.

"You are very handsome, my friend," Xelloss told him with a smile.

"So...so it's taking effect?"

"Yes, the scars are going away. The hair is another problem it seems, right Amelia?" Xelloss asked.

She was busy so she just nodded so not to lose her concentration. Twenty minutes into the job, both girls' hands met over his abdomen where they remained a few minutes more, then pulled back.

"Whew! I need to rest," Amelia said.

"So do I," Sylphiel said, "That was the easy part, Zelgadiss. I had to supplement with two different black magic spells from that book in order to release the binding magic. Still, there's more to go, after we rest a few minutes."

Sylphiel swallowed a cup of water and fell back onto a cushion, while Zelgadiss stood to examine himself in his mirror. He gasped.

"My gods! It's me again!"

"Mostly," Xelloss said. "Looks as if Rezo mixed a little demon into his spell– you know, the hair...ears"

Zelgadiss punched him, but not to hurt. "I can see."

"We think we know how to take that last bit away," Sylphiel said.

"Tell us," Xelloss said.

She explained the mix of spells she intended to use and Xelloss conjured up the Claire Bible to check her plans and make adjustments. Zelgadiss recommended Amelia stand by to cast a _Recovery_ spell.

"Keeping me in some kind of 'stasis' sounds dangerous. Remember what Zelas said. I don't think she was joking when she said you'd have to kill me to undo some of the curse."

"Recovery won't bring you back to life, only the powerful_ Resurrection_ spell. A-aand... that's illegal to use! I'm not strong enough in white magic do that spell, Mr. Zelgadiss!" Amelia said, desperation coming through her voice. "Or I would. I don't know who can."

"Possibly Filia, though I've never seen her do it or even mention it," Sylphiel said. "The stasis will keep you from going into shock, but you're right, it's too dangerous to continue. We should stop at this point and wait until Filia is here to help."

"_If_ Filia comes back, you mean," Zelgadiss said. "Who's kidding who now? If she and Valgaav ever come back here, I'll be surprised. No, I don't want to wait until hell freezes over for my complete cure. Just do it now and prepare to stop the moment you think I might stop breathing."

"I love you just the way you are. Please, don't ask me to go on," Amelia cried.

"It will difficult to monitor anything while you are in stasis," Xelloss told him. "If you want my opinion–"

"I don't," Zelgadiss said abruptly."

"I think finding you a fashionable hat to wear is a safer choice," Xelloss finished.

The girls agreed with Xelloss, but Zelgadiss stood firm, and at last they conceded to him that it was his choice. He drew Amelia into a passionate kiss.

"I trust you," he said. "But if it doesn't work, I take the blame, not you. Understand?"

"Yes," she conceded.

As Amelia nodded, he told them to begin.

They began chanting spells which blended black and white magic into an unstable energy mass covering Zelgadiss in a cocoon of magical electricity. His eyes shut, heartbeat slowed, and muscles went lax as he entered a near-death-like state.

"Okay, this is it!" Sylphiel warned them as she chanted the last few words.

With her hands, she extracted a nearly invisible, black miasma from around his head, and as she did, his hair softened, turned brown, and relaxed over his face and onto the pillow. Xelloss snapped his fingers and the darkness disappeared instantly.

"How's he doing?" he asked Amelia.

"He's okay. Alive, barely. Hurry, Sylphiel," she whispered.

Sylphiel's lips moved, more miasma escaped the cocoon of white shielding and his ears returned to a normal size and shape. Once more, Xelloss collected the dark energy and made it disappear.

"That's it. Time to wake him up," Sylphiel said.

Precious minutes ticked by, both girls recited spells, Amelia's eyes catching the other girl's and exchanging worried looks. Xelloss could tell something was not right.

"Oh," Sylphiel gasped. "Dear Cepheid, give me strength."

"He's not waking up!" Amelia cried out. "He's alive, but I can't bring him to consciousness! I don't know what else to do!"

"Try _Recovery_," Xelloss said, looking at Sylphiel, who was chanting healing magic over Zelgadiss' body.

"That's what she's doing, but it's not strong enough. It's what I was afraid would happen! Oh, how I wish... oh, Filia...I wish you were here, too." Amelia broke down into tears.

"Can he be moved in this condition?" Xelloss asked, nearly frantic himself.

"I don't know... Yes, I think so," Amelia said, no longer thinking straight and panicking.

"Then there's only one choice," Xelloss said.

"You're not taking him to Rezo!" Sylphiel cried out. Her arms fell to the side, her magic powers drained completely.

"No!" Xelloss shouted back. "No," he repeated, more calmly. "I wouldn't do that. I'm going to have to take him to Milgasia, and hope that Filia and Valgaav are on his good side already. The man can bring the dead back to life."

"Are you sure?" Amelia asked, hope in her eyes. "How do you know that? Information like that could get the Cephied leader executed!"

"He can," Xelloss said his eyes dark and serious, "and you will have to take my word for it that he's done it before. This case should be easier, I'd think, because Zel's not truly dead. Here wrap his cloak over him."

Xelloss rushed out of the tent, punching the flap aside, and whistled three times, long and shrill. He hurried back into the tent and scooped Zelgadiss into his arms.

"Wish me luck," he said, even as he dashed out of the tent and into the path of a powerful, black stallion.

"It came to him," Sylphiel said in wonder. "With a whistle. Did you see that?"

Amelia nodded. "Hurry!" she cried out.

"Xelloss will save him, Amelia. Zel will be okay." Sylphiel wrapped her arms around Amelia whispering, "We have to believe and trust in Cepheid."

"Couldn't hurt," Xelloss said.

With amazing strength, Xelloss heaved the limp form of his friend over the horse, then from a stance, leaped onto the horse's bare back. Burying one hand in the mane and griping Zel firmly with the other, he directed the horse at a full run, away from the tents and caravans and onto the road Valgaav and Filia had taken the night before.

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-One.**


	22. Prince Christopher and Milgasia

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Two -- Prince Christopher and Milgasia**

Prince Christopher, had overheard Lina's passionate speech to his brother, and came forward now.

"How very well informed you are, Miss Inverse."

"Yeah, sure," she said eyes narrowing with distrust. "I don't think we've met."

"Mr. Gourry Gabriev, Miss Lina Inverse, I'd like to meet my brother, Prince Christopher," Prince Philionel introduced them all. "My brother is very knowledgeable about the outlying communities."

"Where I live most of the time," Christopher interjected. "I just came from a disturbing meeting with the cardinal of which you speak. I believe his intentions are self-serving and perhaps evil-intended."

"He seems all right to me," Phil asserted, although his heart wasn't in it.

"Perhaps if you visited some of the outer settlements," Christopher said, his voice raw with sadness.

"Or even took an honest look right in your own city," Lina cut in. "And see the Red Guard marching in the streets-"

"And see the people manning the barricades as suddenly hope flared that they might resist, and then afterwards see the dead, and the hope ended in despair, all the promises broken, the spark of magic gone!" Christopher said, warming to his speech.

His face suddenly alight with a passion he had kept tightly in control until now, giving him great character and a resemblance to his older brother.

"Then you would be prepared to fight to keep the small privileges the Capriones have. We must not let this continue. Magic must not be annihilated from Seyruun! It may be the last battalion of it as we speak!"

"One of the last," Lina said.

"Why did our father not take action before? Was he not informed of what was going on?" Phil asked.

"Possibly," Christopher answered with enthusiasm. "Possibly," he repeated as part of a new thought. "Possibly the truth of such widespread genocide was too hard to conceive. Living here in Seyruun, where men have the freedom to read and write what they wish. Where they are free to assemble to discuss, even to criticize the laws we make without fear of reprisal. And where white magic is practiced with discretion, but with openness..."

"... and it becomes easy to ignore the rest of the world," Lina muttered under her breath.

"Yes!" Philionel chimed in, his eyes tearing. He disregarded Lina and joining his brother in praise of Seyruun, waxing poetic. "Where one might form a political party for any cause you like. Or worship any God in any manner chosen!"

"Er..." Lina cut in, "didn't you kick out the Capriones?"

But the princes were in a world of their own, where Lina and Gourry were their audience. Philionel continued without a break in rhythm.

"Where the army obeys the lawmakers, and not the lawmakers the army. Our king would never take orders from his generals."

"Indeed!" Christopher agreed. "They are there to protect us from invasion, to conquer weaker and less fortunate nations, but not to govern us and suppress the people should they threaten protest our laws or to assemble in numbers or practice magic of any type!"

"In the Kingdom of Seyruun, the JUST shall prevail!" they roared in unison.

A sudden vision of Xelloss, unbidden, assaulted her mind. His eyes were haunted in those last moments before she and Gourry rode off. All she wanted in that instant was to feel his warmth and hear his reassurance that all was well. Her hand automatically touched the spot on her chest where Xelloss' parting gift pressed close, the cherished lock of his hair. She must not fail him. She had to get back on track.

"Ah, right, so, um, if you want to keep it that way, we gotta put Rezo in his place," Lina interrupted again. "Hopefully six feet under the ground."

"Quite right," Christopher said with his voice still shaky with passion and dabbing at his eyes with a sleeve of white silk. "The king is mortally ill. I only now just came back from bedside visit with Rezo supervising. Even with the cardinal's reputed skills, there is no hope of improvement. He has only hours, a day at most."

"You don't think Rezo's actually somehow responsible?" Lina asked.

"For his illness? Not possible. No one has been with the king without one of his son's present, at anytime," Philionel assured her.

"Who's with him now?" Lina asked.

"Trusted advisors," Christopher said quickly. "I'll rejoin them shortly."

Christopher turned to Gourry, who had been standing quietly, listening with disinterest, and asked, "Lina is not a Caprione, but you are. What do you have to say, young man?"

When pressed, Gourry argued the case against Rezo's "Holy War" and its destruction, and his large handsome face filled with growing animation as he described the ruin created by troops of Red Guardsmen, the death, the waste of the land, the confusion and loss, the maimed and bereaved. There was something dignified in his simple clothes and lanky figure as he told of his people's lands and his love for the little villages they passed through, the fields, and the lanes.

"Mostly it's just folks born, making what they can of an honest life, carving out a bit of happiness for themselves and their families, and then dying, leaving room for the next. Nothing grand, but they're the ones that chop the trees to build these rooms, and grow the plants and raise some the animals for food and clothes. They might not bring their goods to market even, but without them, here is no market, no fuel, none of the basics the cities need. The shamans help them and they believe in them. The healers fix them and the other magic users make life simpler and a bit easier. But they're not gonna be able to do that, if we don't keep them safe. And... Isn't that what the King's supposed to do? Protect his people from the powerful and the cruel?"

Prince Philionel nodded in agreement. "What Cardinal Rezo is doing sounds unrighteous and must certainly be stopped. Christopher? What's distracting you?"

Christopher was entranced by the sword at Gourry's side, one that shouldn't be there at all. The hilt decorations had caught his attention, but the inscriptions, which he could barely make out, intrigued him most.

"I believe I can read the script. It says: 'Light, come forth!' Is that correct?"

"Um, yeah," Gourry answered uncertainly.

"If that is what I imagine it is, could you give us a demonstration, please? I haven't seen such a sword ever, but I have heard folk tales, stories that the elves made swords with blades of magic, which would only bend to the will of one master."

Gourry wouldn't budge.

"I see you don't trust us. Believe me; we are in far more danger than you. You have brought a weapon into the throne room, with which you could behead us both and seal the fate of our kingdom."

"What!" Philionel bellowed.

Lina, Gourry, and Christopher settled the man down, and Gourry agreed to show them his magical sword at last. He showed them how it worked and powered it up.

"It only works for me," Gourry said, not without a little pride. "And it was the Capriones that made this, and more like it, long time ago, not the elves."

While he put on a demonstration of his skill and the sword's unique beauty, the others watched and deliberated. Gourry provided the men the necessary time to think over the situation and assess was they wanted to do next.

"There is a function tonight," Philionel said at last. "Dignitaries, influential men of all types will be here. I wish to rally them to our new cause, and then we shall decide what course of action to take. Oh, and Rezo will not be present."

(O)

The beast men accompanied Filia and Valgaav to the edge of their territory, still effusive with gratitude toward the strangers for leading the attack on the Red Guard encampment just outside their village, and eager to show their thanks by ensuring their safety for the short journey.

"And if you convince those high and mighty men from the mountains to get their hands dirty fighting with the Capriones, then count us in too."

"Dilgear, I'll hold ya to that," Valgaav said, grinning.

"High and mighty..." Filia grumbled, but wisely only when they were long out of earshot. "I'd show him high and mighty!"

"Why are you yelling at me?" Valgaav shouted at her over his shoulder.

"I'm not, I'm yelling at** me** and you're just in the way."

Valgaav roared with laughter, nearly falling off his horse. Filia held back her own smile barely.

The pass from the foothill took them to the narrow path up into the Kathart mountains, where lived the Cepheid tribes led by Milgasia. It was a fine defensive position with a clear view of all the roads entering the settlements. There, the beast men and the odd couple parted ways with promises of continued friendship and future cooperation.

"How much longer till we get there?" Valgaav asked Filia, who was familiar with the mountain paths.

"Couple hours only. It isn't far, just difficult for the horses," Filia answered. "In fact, had we left your settlement before that idiotic wedding ritual, we would have been there already and have avoided all the unpleasantness."

"But the beast men might not have beat off the Red Guard had we not shown up and attacked first," Valgaav reminded her. He was in high spirits for the first time in many days. "Maybe things happen for a purpose."

"Of course they do! If you were taught under Cepheid you would know they are!" she snapped.

They said nothing else for the duration of the ride. The air was clear and crisp, dropping in temperature as their altitude rose, fragrant with pine needles until they rose above the tree line. Harsh granite cliffs jutted out at abrupt angles, the path wove and snaked around gigantic boulders, while peaks rose in towering spires overhead. If Valgaav had ever lived in such a place, he doubted it; nothing jostled his memories and he couldn't have forgotten such dramatic scenery. He was about to ask Filia why they hadn't encountered others on the route, considering how close to the tribe's retreat they must be, when the path turned and opened to a most extraordinary vista.

"Here's where many of our tribes live," Filia said.

A wide, green valley stretched in a bowl-like depression, surrounded by bare, snow-capped peaks on all sides. The wind blew sharply off the peaks, causing both travelers to wrap up in their cloaks. He could see several villages spotted at random along the edges of a glittering river feeding into a central lake so deep a blue it looked mirror-like to him. He dropped his facade of arrogance, stunned by the beauty and unexpectedness of the view, and so lost was he in admiration of his surroundings that Valgaav didn't notice the man approaching from the side until he was nearly upon them.

"Hello," the stranger said.

Valgaav jumped and spun to the side, his eyes narrowing and distrustful of the man's sudden appearance. He was as tall as Valgaav but heftier, with golden hair which felt in waves to his shoulders, and very handsome. There was no sword at his side or weapon of any kind in his hands.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Valgaav snapped, drawing his sword.

The man raised his thick, straw-colored eyebrows, looking more amused than annoyed, and showing no fear. "You've been watched since you left the pass in the company of three beast men. I arrived to greet you. Who have you brought me, Filia Ul Copt?"

As the older man turned to her, Filia bowed slightly and said, "Milgasia, sir, this is Valgaav from the Ancient tribe. Valgaav, may I introduce Milgasia, the elected leader of our collective tribes. Sir, we need to see you and talk. It is of the utmost importance and we can waste no time!"

"Valgaav of the Ancients? I'm surprised to meet a survivor of that unfortunate slaughter, and pleased. Yes, I can feel your sense of urgency, Miss Filia. Valgaav, please, fill me in on your story while we walk to my home. It's not far."

They followed his lead, Filia and Milgasia in front, Valgaav centered just behind them, the two horses trailing behind. It was Filia who spoke up, telling Val's story, from his rescue at the hands of destruction from her own people by Zelas, to his position in the Capriones, including their meeting, their leaving the Capriones settlement, and ending with a recapitulation of their fight against the Red Guard the day before. She told it without excess words or emotions. Milgasia stopped at a stone pathway leading up to a two-story building hewn from the same granite rock of the mountains.

"I appreciate your brevity, my dear," Milgasia said to her, raising one eyebrow in a look of mild reprobation. "Now, I'd like to hear what your young man has to say for himself."

"He's not my; that is, Valgaav is my friend. I'm concerned about him and helping the Capriones," Filia sputtered.

A youth dressed in pale blue tunic with gold trim similar to Milgasia's was standing alert to the newcomers by the polished, pine doors. He jumped to attention as Milgasia shouted to him, starting up the path.

"Yes, yes... Open up! We have guests, for the day and night, at least. Have the cook bring us refreshments and whip up some extra dinner, and remember to say 'please'." Milgasia used a fatherly tone, rather than as a master might address a servant. "Is your brother in the stable?"

"Yes, he is," the boy said with a carefree smile. "I'll take the horses to him first, okay?"

When the boy disappeared Milgasia said, "My nephew. I'll introduce you later."

Filia and Valgaav followed the man into a stone-floored entry where they hung their cloaks with a shiver in the chilly space and stowed their bags and weapons. Milgasia led them on into a high-ceilinged, broad-beamed room with thick rugs on the wood-plank floors and a blazing fire in the fireplace. He gestured to a pair of deep-cushioned chairs near the fireplace, moving another closer for himself.

"So, Valgaav, you were born into a noble family originally, from what Filia just told me. How old were you when Zelas took you in?"

Valgaav straightened his shoulders with pride. "I was the prince, yeah. I was first in line to rule whenever the time came that my father stepped aside, or died. I was with the Capriones over fifteen years thinking I was, well, it doesn't matter now what I thought of my past."

"No, it doesn't," Milgasia said, smiling. "So is this your urgent matter?"

Filia started to speak, but Valgaav stopped her with eye contact. "I'm here because I wanted to learn the truth about my family, first off."

Milgasia sat back, fingertips meeting in a triangle. "It's true. Cepheid tribes, not from these mountains, but others on the other side, the sea side, attacked, murdered, and razed the towns of your people, to the last man, save you, it seems. It was a time of great evil. All over, in fact, our nobility was executed for non-compliance with the anti-magic laws coming from Atlas City, or thereabouts. But still, the Ancients protected their own and refused to turn over their most powerful weapon. Killing them and using another tribe to do it, well, it sent a message to us all. Many tribes have gathered here on this mountain, for protection from further prosecution."

"That weapon," Valgaav said, his eyes sparkling, giving way how interested he was. "Do you know what it was?"

"I imagine it was you, and your family. Your father was a gifted holy magic user, capable of great acts, and even more was expected from you, when you grew up, although yours were a most peaceful people."

"Why didn't they fight off the attack? I don't get being so strong and not being able to defend yourself!" Valgaav growled, disappointed that there wasn't a magical weapon to search for and hurt by his own feelings of inadequacy.

"I imagine, since I was not there and there is no reliable record of the event to draw from, that is was totally unexpected, that the attackers came in the form of friends, used sleeping spells, possibly dark magic ones taught to them by the magicians of the Red Guard, and murdered them in their sleep. How Zelas of the Capriones learned of the attack and was able to take advantage of it... I can't say."

"She told me my birth father was a Caprione and her husband. He's no longer alive either."

Milgasia couldn't meet his eyes. "No, that wasn't so. Your father was of the Cepheid tribe, of that I am certain."

"This doesn't make sense. Why would she save me and no one else? How would Zelas even know about me?"

"Possibly, she had close contacts with you birth mother?" Filia suggested. "And somehow word reached her in time to rescue you. Maybe you were hidden secretly someplace."

"Remotely possible. Still, Zelas' timing to rescue me was remarkable, no, unbelievable, don't you think?" Valgaav asked. "Like it was planned."

"Zelas had nothing to do with that attack," Milgasia assured him. "I don't believe that she and Rezo would ever cooperate."

"They were and are mortal enemies," Valgaav growled.

"I believe you," Milgasia said, his eyes accessing him in an attempt to judge the young man's character. "You have traveled a hard road getting here. So, Valgaav, what does a young prince of the Ancient Cepheid tribe, raised by the Capriones, want from me?"

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Two.**


	23. Home is Where the Heart is

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**_Capriones_** (ca-pree-OWN-ees)

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Three -- Home is Where the Heart is**

Valgaav leaned forward to answer just as a young lady entered the room carrying a tray of tea things.

"Dinner will be ready very soon, Daddy. Cook told me to tell you." She set the tray on a near table and poured three cups for the pot.

"Thank you, Guilda. Very nicely done and you can thank your cousin as well for passing my orders along. I'd like to introduce to you Valgaav. Miss Ul Copt, Filia, I think you know."

"Oh, yes, hello again Miss Filia," Guilda greeted her, her eyes on Valgaav until he raised his gaze , then she dropped them shyly. "Hi."

"Hello, to you, too," he said.

"Could you leave us until dinnertime, dear. We have serious business to discuss."

"Yes, Daddy," Guilda said, and then left the room, looking back over her shoulder at the very exciting-looking newcomer.

"Your daughter's lovely," Valgaav said, a smile breaking his face for the first time.

Filia frowned at his improper behavior. A man shouldn't look at a young lady in that manner. She wanted to wipe the leer off his face and nearly did, but Milgasia was closer.

"And engaged!" Milgasia said quickly. "Yes, she is a wonderful girl, thank you. You were about to say something before she came in."

Valgaav knew what he wanted and this man was critical to his getting it so he needed to be forceful without being off-putting at the same time. Sly and conniving would not win the confidence of this upstanding man and honored Cepheid leader.

"I want my position back, my rank, my place with my people, or what accounts for them these days."

"Is that all?" Milgasia said humorously.

Valgaav shrank back, knowing he had put it wrong.

"Not that I blame you. I'd want the same thing if I were in your shoes."

"He can do it, too," Filia said, holding back no longer. "We need a royal figurehead to rally around."

Valgaav took exception to being her "figurehead," but his noise was lost in the crash of a log and Filia's louder voice.

"Milgasia, sir, we must fight back! We can't dillydally up here thinking we're all safe and that Rezo will ignore us. He won't. He knows not every holy magic user was killed. He is afraid of what it can do, too. He's also looking for his heir, who can blow his cover and a magical power stone which will make him unbeatable!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Milgasia's arms flew up. "Rezo's heir? Who do you mean? Where are you getting your information, girl?"

"I'll tell you," Valgaav said, his voice low. "Just listen. Now, this has got to stay here, in this room, understand?"

He and Milgasia exchanged determined expressions for what felt like minutes until, finally, Milgasia broke the stare.

"Certainly," Milgasia said. "You can speak freely."

"Rezo has a grandson, whom he took on road shows with him. He would place spells on the boy, making him look crippled or sick, then cure him in front of crowds."

"No, why?" Milgasia said in disbelief. "Why would a man such as he resort to tomfoolery like that? I can't believe it!"

"Got attention. Drew crowds to hear his speeches. Rezo built a reputation on his healing ability saying he didn't need magic to cure ills, but that it was his calling, that the hand of the gods acted through him. That's partially what got him moved through the priesthood to the position of Cardinal in the first place, that and all his family's money. The Greywords estate."

Valgaav drew his breath and made certain Milgasia was listening to his next words. "His word was that magic was the root of all evil, something those without it could fear and something that was unnecessary if...if folks would believe and follow him. Turn in the witches, the healers, the sorcerers. Rid the villages and towns and cities of these dangers. The ability to live without magic was the only way people could be equal and safe. Except for him, of course."

Valgaav took a sip of tea to clear his dry throat, and then proceeded. "Rezo was a superb sorcerer, and his grandson knew it. The kid and two of his pals were captured several years ago by the Capriones, by their prince, in fact, and, in a twisted way, my brother."

"What was the grandson's name?" Milgasia asked.

"He offered information and his own life for the freedom of his comrades, and the prince agreed to the trade." Valgaav smiled, smugly. "Name's Zelgadiss."

"Zelgadiss? That's impossible! He's a thief! A common thief and magic user with wanted posters!" Milgasia shouted.

"Nah, that's just Rezo trying to capture him, getting others looking for him. He knows all Rezo's secrets and that makes him dangerous. He was also leading a small rebel group, which I know still's in operation since those pals of his that were freed were his most trusted lieutenants."

"Why would he lead a rebellion and not work with his own grandfather, the cardinal?" Milgasia asked.

"Because Rezo cursed him with a spell he couldn't undo."

Filia added, "It is awful looking, Milgasia. He's covered with scars, like melted skin in places; his hair is sharp and prickly and unnatural; his ears are pointed."

"So you've seen this Zelgadiss, too? And you believe his story?"

"Oh, yes. Lina Inverse could identify him from seeing him as a little boy– by his eyes, which are surprisingly large and blue-green in color. She's good that way."

"Lina Inverse. She's another one with her face on wanted posters."

"Miss Sylphiel and I have been with Lina several years now," Filia said, straightening her shoulders.

For a moment Milgasia's eyes softened, as he said, "Fighting, risking your life won't bring him back, Filia."

"Who?" Valgaav asked.

Filia waved her hand, signaling him to shut up.

"I know it won't, but I will work to prevent Rezo creating more widows, murdering more sons."

Valgaav looked at her sharply, but Filia ignored him.

"In fact, it was a job with her that brought us to the Caprione settlement and in contact with Zelgadiss and the Princess Amelia of Seyruun."

"Princess Amelia! So she's at a Caprione settlement! Filia, the Prince of Seyruun has been frantic over his missing daughter."

"Nonsense!" Filia said, her sharp tongue overruling her courtesy at last. "Prince Philionel is perfectly aware of where she is and even condoned her marriage, such as it was, to Prince Xelloss of the Capriones. I was present at the ceremony and after it Valgaav and I left to come here. A totally ridiculous ceremony, I must say."

She caught herself from getting off topic and turned the subject back to the important one. "Listen, please, Rezo has nearly wiped out all the magic users; he's in Seyruun now and so is Lina trying to kick some sense into Philionel before it's too late and he becomes enthralled and loses his kingdom. Red Guard troops were at the foot of these mountains. We stopped them before they destroyed the innocents in a beast man village. We used magic, a special kind and that makes us a danger and a threat to Rezo. He will discover what we did and he will retaliate!"

"I understand the threat, Filia, and will defend our people when the time comes that they attack us," Milgasia said. "But...What is it Guilda? Dinner? Yes, thank you. Let me think about what you've told me. It is a great deal to consider."

Guilda and her two cousins, little Ryklin and Wilkin, the older one who loved horses, joined Milgasia, Valgaav, and Filia at the table. The younger boys found Valgaav fascinating and pressed him for stories about the Capriones and his adventures. He did his best, taking his turn when he had to, but he was not the natural story teller that Xelloss was. He lowered his guard, fought the tendency to sound pompous, like Milgasia and other older men did to him, and became a genuine, whole person.

Milgasia used the opportunity to lecture everyone on the Cepheid religious teachings, something he found sorely missing from Valgaav's upbringing. "It will be valuable to your understanding of our people to know these three parts which define our belief system. First there is 'Laudation', where we tell Cepheid how great he is and how important. Second comes the 'Petition', in which we might ask Cepheid for something and remind him of our past actions to his benefit, or perhaps ask Cepheid to come to our aid in return for giving money to his shrines as well as our faith. And, lastly, comes 'Thanksgiving', at which time we then tell Cepheid that we are grateful for all he's done for us."

As impressive as Milgasia made this sound, Valgaav wasn't interested in hearing more. He rolled his eyes and stabbed more vigorously at his pudding.

"My point is, young man, you have come here to petition me, but you left out the first step," Milgasia leaned forward expectantly.

"Food's great," Valgaav said sullenly. "Hey, I told you your daughter was pretty. That counts for that laudation stuff, doesn't it?"

Milgasia's eyes widened and then he broke out into a grin. "Why yes, you did! Bravo! You were listening, but I imagine those Capriones spoiled you rotten."

Valgaav looked up thoughtfully, then seeing that Milgasia was relaxed and smiling, he broke out in a grin. "Pretty much. Had I stayed, I might have become their leader."

"Like Xelloss would have let that happen!" Filia said with a dainty snort.

"Xelloss?" The blood fled Milgasia's face. "He's their leader now?"

"Nah, but his _mother_ is." This time Valgaav chuckled making it clear with his voice inflection how he had once thought about her.

Filia blushed hotly. Imagining Valgaav pursuing and seducing Zelas sickened her, vying with her pious upbringing. Zelas was much older, in a position of 'mother' to him, and totally without morals. She felt Valgaav's eyes on her. She had to say something, so she changed the topic.

"Do you still play the guitar, Milgasia?" she asked.

"Yes, and so does my daughter and my wife. I'm sorry you are unable to meet her," he said to Valgaav. "Iris is a lovely woman and out of town, visiting our oldest son who is married and whose wife is expecting their first child. We should be hearing that news at any time."

Dinner concluded and the family and friends gathered in front of the fireplace, guitars in hand for a round of music and singing. What Valgaav had expected to be a pathetic, boring experience, was instead charming and warming. Although he knew none of the tunes or songs, he joined in the refrains, demonstrating that he was willing to adapt and that he was intelligent by learning quickly. Filia and Valgaav were shown to their rooms shortly thereafter. Nothing had been resolved, but then Valgaav hadn't been dismissed, or discarded entirely, either.

(O)

The party at the palace of Seyruun promised to be splendid and lavish, echoing the past glories days. Philionel arranged suitable clothing for his two visitors. He lent Lina a maid to dress her hair, and a valet to assist Gourry.

"At least he knew better than to dress us like nobility," Lina said to Gourry.

"You look pretty, Lina," Gourry said, embarrassed. "Green's nice with your hair."

"Is it?" she laughed nervously. "I thought everything was, ha, ha!"

"Yeah, and this tunic's real nice, too. Think I can keep it?" he asked, fingering the soft blue muslin.

"I don't see why not?" Lina grinned. "It's not like they'd miss it or anything. Looks like it's time to eat. Let's go."

People were talking and laughing around the splendid table, lifting their wine goblets to their lips, diamonds winking in the candle light. Tasting her glass with a sip, Lina found it insipid, lacking any distinctiveness or character. The food was bland without the exotic seasonings and aromatics Lina had recently become accustomed to at the Capriones settlement.

The conversation swirled around them; talk of fashion, of theater, of social functions at which they had seen this person or that, who had been in whose company, possible forthcoming betrothals or marriages. The crush of silk and velvet contrasted with Lina and Gourry's simpler linen and cotton clothes, finely made and stylish as they were. They felt more and more excluded as the evening wore on. Only Lina's ruby and gold jewelry seemed to belong. It galled her pride that she did not fit in, in any way.

She couldn't help missing the pervasive tingle of magic, which in Lina's mind was intermixed with those intoxicating scents given off by the spices from the Far East used by the Capriones as seasoning for their food. That combination of odors was just another one of the strong associations she had with the Capriones. It made her think about the trade routes they could open up for the rest of this world, should trade agreements be worked out and agreed upon.

Monsieur le Comte of Charland, grandson of Nordric the sixth, sat to her left. She was half listening to what he was telling the man across from her, but the subject changed and dragged attention from her plate.

"You can hardly equate the death of a king with that of some thief or indigent in the street!" he drawled.

"Nobody has more than one life to lose. And all should be equal under the law," argued the other man.

"Nonsense! Some men are leaders and contribute to society; most do not. He was one who did. Cardinal Rezo is another man of eminence." Monsieur le Comte of Charland said.

He was indoctrinated and Lina decided she might have to put him straight, if the other guy weakened.

"The Cardinal? I hear he's left a trail of blood in his wake. We don't need his type here in Seyruun," said the other man.

"Really?" he said, the titled man's level brows lifting a fraction in surprise. "I find that highly unlikely."

"Then you are a fool or an idiot, I don't know which, but let me acquaint you with the facts," Lina quipped back.

She was irked by the condescension and the arrogance and unafraid to let him know.

"I know Rezo is a man of distinction." His voice cut across hers, scattering her thoughts. "And he has conquered most of the world. Those are the facts!"

"Well, he hasn't conquered me yet," she grinned proudly.

The meal was over, the princes moving from their seats, permitting everyone else to rise and move to the ballroom.

"Eek!" Lina squeaked and nearly jumped when she heard Christopher's voice close to her ear.

"Forgive me, young lady," Christopher said softly. "I couldn't help but overhear. You consider yourself unconquered? Well, remember, you are dealing with the world as it is, not as you believe, maybe rightly, that it ought to be. There will be a great many things you can achieve not by attacking them but with a little patience and a modicum of flattery. Stop to consider what it is you really want, rather than pursuing your anger or your vanity to charge in. So often we leap to passionate judgments– when if we but knew the one thing more, they would be different."

"Yeah, she preaches better than she practices," Gourry agreed.

Lina wanted to let know Christopher how charming she could be and that she was good at it, but the words died in her mouth. She felt her confidence drain away; she was just a girl in over her head, it seemed. She allowed the prince to take her arm and lead her into the ballroom, Gourry at her elbow. All sorts of artists and magicians and political exiles, swept past her, dancing to music she had heard before, but never cared for. Missing was the rustic concertina, the breathy, clarinet-like _duduk_, the whining fiddles, and the lusty dancers of the Caprione camp. Xelloss' sweet smile. She needed more than a a hunk of hair; she needed him near. A rush of what could only be explained as homesickness settled over Lina.

Lina grabbed Gourry's arm saying, "I wanna go home."

"You do?" he scratched his head, but was unable to recall where her home was, if he'd ever known.

"Yes. Don't you want to get back to Sylphiel?"

"Oh, that home," he said, understanding her at last, his face softening. "Yes."

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Three.**


	24. An Old Debt

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Four -- An Old Debt**

It was almost dark when Xelloss arrived. He walked heavily up the path with a sense of anticipation and concern, shifting the heavy load in his arms to free a hand. He pounded on the door, arousing the household from their beds with his insistent banging. Milgasia, wrapped in a heavy, floor-length robe was first to the door, opening it, candle in hand.

"Who is it, Daddy?"

"Go back to bed!" he ordered his daughter, voice taut in his throat. Recognizing how he had frightened her, he added more gently, "It's all right, just go."

Milgasia opened the door and gasped audibly, his eyes haunted by who he found. "It must be grave business for you to come here like this," he said, stepping aside, leaving space for the visitor to enter, "demanding entry to my home in the middle of the night."

"It is." Xelloss pushed past the taller man, stumbling under the weight of the bundle in his arms. His eyes sought out the glow of the dying embers in the room beyond. "This man needs your help. It's a desperate situation."

Milgasia tilted his head in the direction of the main room. "Put him on the couch. I'll get the fire going."

Milgasia received Xelloss with ill-disguised reluctance. The two men greeted each other with an instant and well-founded dislike, concealing it in icy good wishes and the most meticulous courtesy.

"I hope I've found you in good health," Xelloss said, laying Zelgadiss out, unfolding the blanket, revealing the features of a sleeping young man with soft, dark hair framing his flawless face.

"You have, thank you. Your health is excellent, I hope?"

"Mine, yes, but this man..." Xelloss looked up from his friend's still face to Milgasia's flustered one. "He is in a stasis; not dead not alive. He was intentionally placed in that state by white magic spells in order to avoid the shock of removing...a very dark curse."

Milgasia shook the cobwebs from his brain. The stories his guests had told him earlier in the evening came to mind. None of it helped make sense of the situation, but he thought he could guess the injured man's identity.

"This man is Zelgadiss."

"You know him?" Xelloss asked, surprised.

"No, but I surmised from..."

"Xelloss!" Filia's voice rose to a shriek. She had taken the time to dress, which wasn't surprising since it was a strange house. "What in the gods' names are you doing here? Oh!" She shrank back in horror at the sight of the familiar, yet different young man on the couch. "Is that...Zel? What's wrong? He's cured, but he's... He's not dead is he?"

"Dead? Who's dead?" Valgaav grumbled, groggily, dressed in his pants with his tunic grasped in his hand.

"Zelgadiss, and he's not dead, at least, not yet." Xelloss looked to Milgasia urgently. "You can help him. You've done this kind of thing before- I know."

Filia and Valgaav stared at Zelgadiss' transformed face and hair, his ears invisible in the folds of cloth around him. Milgasia glanced down at Xelloss, reading his face for signs of cunning or deceit. Milgasia had long ago learned that people who are facing a test of courage frequently wore their fear in ways that might lie outside their usual character. The young Valgaav, whom he had just met, covered his fear of rejection with bravado and brashness. With careful study he knew he could make out a truth about someone, believing that the person's reaction to fear was always a facet of something that was there, perhaps hidden in less stressful times. The conclusion he drew about young Valgaav was that he was an untried, arrogant man, somewhat justified, whose character had never been tested until now, but that he was not a liar.

On the other hand, he distrusted Xelloss unconditionally, and felt uneasy about Xelloss suddenly appearing on his doorstep. Why was he here? Milgasia could think of no reason that didn't fill him with dreaded consequences. But Xelloss was nearly trembling with fear for the life of the man he had delivered. If, as Milgasia believed, fear was the most universal stripper of disguise, then he should see past Xelloss affable mask to his motives. He also knew that his own eyes were probably mirroring his own feelings, so there no use pretending he was comfortable with the situation. Xelloss must fear for this other young man's life like he had never feared before, because he had left his emotions exposed and raw for Milgasia to see. For that, Xelloss won over any remaining doubts Milgasia's had of his story, but left Milgasia wondering why Xelloss cared so passionately.

"Let me see him," Milgasia said, kneeling by Zel's side.

He was thinking of Zelgadiss, the young boy, and of the tragic compulsions that had driven the Red Priest to use him, and then nearly destroy him, as he ran a hand over his brow. He could sense the powerful spells used on him, the damage to his sense of self incurred by the curse itself even after its removal. He could help this young man only if he had the will left to survive.

"You can break the stasis spell? You can use _Resurrection. _The white magic healers treating him were unable to summon the power to guarantee his life, should the stasis be dropped," Xelloss said rapidly, further revealing the depth of his emotion. "Please try. I promised him, and his...bride."

"Bride? What are you talking about now?" Filia said in a gasp. "Oh, and you mean for him to cast the _Recovery _spell, surely."

"I was speaking of Princess Amelia," Xelloss told her dismissively. "Now be quiet,"

The Cepheid leader ignored Filia's rising fury as he ran his hands over Zel's closed eyes, his face clouding with growing concern. There it was, the curse had one final thread leading into his brain, like a fuse, triggered to destroy the boy's mind the minute he should awaken. It was an abominable curse! Milgasia drew back his hands as if burned. He fought back fear which would affect his judgment, composed himself, and sat back with a sigh.

The fire roared in the grate and the coals collapsed inward with a shower of sparks. It seemed the only brightness in the room. He felt everyone's eyes on him and Xelloss' boring into him, waiting for his answer, but Milgasia was puzzled, unable to come up with the benevolent motives Xelloss had to cure Rezo's grandson. When he looked up, his hazel eyes met Xelloss' dark purple-flecked eyes in a tense moment. There was a history of bad-blood between them, and they were both caught up in its memory.

"What are you doing?" Filia screeched at both men. "Can you help him or not? Because, if you won't I will!"

She strode to the couch, reciting the strong healing spell under her breath, the telltale glow appearing on her fingertips as the casting engaged. "_Recovery_!"

Her action broke the inactivity of the two other men.

"Please," Xelloss croaked.

Milgasia turned again to his charge. "Your power is not sufficient to hold the casting, but welcome," he told Filia as he began his own incantation.

Light flooded the room for an instant, before concentrating around his hands, and then flowing over Zel's still body.

"_Resurrection!_" Milgasia commanded.

A violent force knocked Filia to the floor, face down, nearly flattened by the impact. Valgaav, standing further away, gripped the back of a chair to keep his footing when powerful energy waves washed over his body. Xelloss had thrown up a magical barrier, shielding Milgasia and himself. When it was over, he threw himself forward, staring into Zel's face.

"Zel! Wake up! It's over! You are..." his voice softened and lowered as Xelloss saw the lids tremble, then the eyes of his friend open, "cured, my friend. Hey..."

Zelgadiss' eyes stared past his friend's face as if he didn't exist, then he blinked, improving his focus in the dim light afforded by the fire. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What–?"

"It worked!" Xelloss said with his voice cracking.

Filia scrambled off the floor before Valgaav could offer her a hand. She was joined at the couch by the other two men. As shocked as she was by Milgasia's invocation of the forbidden spell, Zelgadiss' transformation was far more significant, at the moment.

"Zelgadiss, you look...so different. Wonderful, in fact!"

"You looked dead a few minutes ago," Valgaav told him. "Xelloss must have carried you from the settlement all the way here to the Kathart Mountains."

Zelgadiss looked to Xelloss. "What went wrong?"

Milgasia answered for him. "Nothing the white magic users could have done, although, putting you in stasis, young man, saved your life. I imagine someone suspected the curse on you had a catch, which it did. It would have killed you instantly, had it been removed without correctly disabling the last of the spell."

"But I'm alive," Zelgadiss said, now staring at Milgasia. "You could find the problem and ... and you saved me. Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome," Milgasia muttered as he moved away.

"Did someone say we are in the Kathart Mountains?" Zelgadiss asked, his head clearing. "This is Cepheid territory, then, if I'm not mistaken."

"Right," Xelloss said. "And it was the Cepheid tribal leader, Milgasia, who ...returned you to us."

Xelloss beamed brightly after a struggle explaining what had just occurred. Without another word, he yanked off one of Zel's gloves. "You must be curious how you look, right? Look at them! True gentleman's hands."

Zelgadiss did, sitting up and using the light from the fire to examine them. "Yes, I remember seeing my hands and face clear just before, well, I demanded you continue. I can't believe it."

Guilda stepped from the shadows, her shyness coming from going against her father's orders. "I've brought you a hand mirror, ah, sir."

"Thank you, Miss." Zelgadiss was at a loss for her name, but forgot to ask as his attention was caught suddenly, mesmerized by his own image in the mirror.

"I'm Guilda. You met my father-" she gestured toward Milgasia, standing and glowering over them.

"Thanks, Guilda," he said.

Zelgadiss' hand touched his chin, his nose, hair, and found an ear; everything appeared normal again. With a twist of his wrist he cast a lighting spell over his head.

"Well, that works," he said wryly, although it was a relief to know he could still summon a spell.

His eyes remained glued to his reflection.

"It's me, I guess. Older than last I recall. My hair," he blew the messy bangs out of his eyes, "needs cutting."

At last he tore his attention from his image and met Xelloss' expectant look.

"Thanks for bringing me here, in time." He turned slightly toward Milgasia. "And thank you, sir, again, for saving my life. I am in your debt, which I hope I will be able to repay."

"Don't mention it," Milgasia said, clearing his throat. _"Ever."_

"I recommend that none of us ever speak of this again," Xelloss said.

The Cepheid leader's eyes darted sharply to catch Xelloss' gaze and found that the desperation was gone. In its place was a twinkle of humor. His stomach clenched as he wondered what Xelloss would ask of him next; how he would subtly demonstrate the power he exerted over him and his people.

"What else do you require?" Milgasia asked.

"Me?" Xelloss asked, letting the barest flicker of laughter enter his voice. "I could use a bed to sleep on or this rug in front of the fire– _first_ off."

"I'd like to let Amelia know I'm okay," Zelgadiss said. His unusual eyes capturing first Guilda's then Milgasia's as the blood rose up his neck to his cheeks, "She's my...wife."

"You wish! I watched Xelloss marry Amelia," Filia said.

"We must have missed the divorce and the next wedding," Valgaav said with a hoarse chuckle.

Xelloss returned a twisted smile. "We Capriones do race through relationships."

Valgaav laughed. "Yeah, but I'll bet Zel consummated it, and not you."

Zelgadiss choked and coughed as he exchanged confused looks with them both and blushed deeper, but Xelloss merely smiled amiably and said, "I'm satisfied."

"You fooled Zelas, didn't ya?" Valgaav asked.

"What?" Filia asked. "Xelloss bamboozled Zelas and didn't marry her after all– Zel did?"

"Something like that," Xelloss said as he turned back to his recovering, but deeply embarrassed friend. "Zel, someone will return to camp with the first light, but not now in the dark. The pass is treacherous, even casting lighting spells. I know, I brought you here like a crazy man."

"There are few enough hours until daybreak," Milgasia said, stepping to the hall. "I'll bring blankets for our guests, then I suggest we all get as much rest as possible. I'd rather hear the rest of my obligations to you," he said directly to Xelloss, "With a few hours sleep under my belt."

Xelloss had other ideas. "I'll help you with those blankets," he said, rising to his feet with his natural elegance.

Milgasia continued, knowing Xelloss was at his heels, until they were out of hear shot. "What Xelloss? I have no desire to play games tonight."

"I wished to thank you personally. Zelgadiss' return to health is very important to me and to our cause."

"What cause is that? Stopping Cardinal Rezo? I've heard from Filia and that young man, Valgaav. All about it. I told them I'd think about what I'd do."

"I'm glad you understand. I wish to assure you that Valgaav can be the leader your fighting men need to rally around, and that he is who he says he is, but," he said with an impish smile, "don't tell Val I said so. It might give him a big head."

Milgasia's eyebrows shot up. "You want me to stand aside for an unseasoned lad to lead my people into a battle which could cost them everything they have?"

Xelloss smile turned bemused. "Yes, I do believe that is what I want! Don't worry, I'll be there and so will Zelas and the armies of Seyruun."

"There?"

"The Caprione settlement below."

"Why there? Why not here or Seyruun?"

Xelloss smiled and shook his head. "That's a secret!"

Milgasia blood boiled, his face grew red, he gritted his teeth. "When? Or is that a secret too?"

"Tomorrow."

"Dear gods! So soon!"

"There is no time like the present," Xelloss laughed, "Well, actually, the morning's far better. I'd like some shut-eye. And breakfast. A big one. I fight better well-rested and well-fed, don't you?"

"May Cepheid preserve us!" Milgasia groaned.

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Four.**


	25. Danger in the Palace

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Five -- Danger in the Palace**

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Prince Randolph opened his eyes and sat up in bed. "Who is it? What's the matter?"

"A messenger, sir, from the cardinal sent me to get you. It's urgent. Please, come with me."

Randolph slipped his feet into slippers and wrapped his fur lined robe about him. "It had better be important, ruining a man's sleep this way."

The prince followed the monk's-robed figure down the hall where torches lit the way, complaining under his breath.

"This had better be important, that's all I have to say. Waking a man up, dashing through the halls. Damned cold, too!"

Although, as he thought about it, the possibility that the king, his father had died sobered him to silence. He pushed back the truth that he was the one responsible into the deepest recesses of his mind and trundled on and into a dimly lit room.

Rezo stood at the window. A single candle glowed on a table at his elbow. He parted the window shade and gazed out into the darkness. Randolph wondered what he expected to see.

"Cardinal?"

Rezo's back straightened, the tension showing as the cloak pulled tightly, but he didn't face the prince. "The king has died. I just learned. You are suspected, although I don't know how."

"That's impossible!" Randolph said, startled and frightened both. "Who doubts my...? Who presumes I had a hand in...? I've given no reason for anyone to distrust me!" he blustered.

"Suspected, I said, but it can never be proven," Rezo said. "However, it is best if you left the palace."

"Wouldn't that actually seal my guilt?"

"Not if I say you are chasing the perpetrator!" Rezo said sharply. "And I have an important task for you, a journey, not far." He turned around, smiling serenely.

"Is that so?" Randolph said archly. "Well, tell me what this is all about, then, since you seem to need to."

Rezo was not pleased with his patronizing tone and, so, sharpened his own.

"You will lead a troop of my Red Guard to the nearest Caprione settlement. There you will search for a statuette, about this size..." He spread a hand to suggest a relative size and shape, and then closed it, moving his staff to that hand again. "It contains an item of value to me, and is mine. It was stolen."

"A statuette. I doubt those people will approve of us prowling around their place for a little thing like that, even if I am a prince of Seyruun– possibly the king. They might tolerate a king nosing about."

"No, they won't. Pay attention; there is more. You'll be looking for a boy, more of a man now. He'll be swathed in cloth covering his face. He's badly scarred."

"Like the one on the posters wanted for–"

"Yes, that's the one! Zelgadiss is his name. They captured him, I believe, and executed him, or not. Find out! I want proof if he is dead or brought to me arms and feet tied– understand? Also, keep a look out for the other one, Lina Inverse. I want them both."

"Alive and bound? You ask too much. They are dangerous!"

"Then bring them dead, if you must. It matters not to me." Rezo had faith that his troops would take care of the Capriones. "You must leave tonight, now."

"Good gods, man! It's the middle of the night." The prince grew more frantic in his attempt to evade battle.

Rezo stepped forward. "And getting later as we speak. Earlier would have been better, but ..." He fanned the air with a hand. Rezo had no time to review the past for errors, then ponder and regret them. "I have had my guard searching this city night and day. One way or the other, Lina Inverse and Zelgadiss will be ferreted out, or unearthed. Success on your part, my prince, will guarantee you rich rewards."

"By which you mean the crown. You promised me the Kingdom of Seyruun," Randy reminded him.

"I know what I said," Rezo snapped, his eyes flashing in anger. "I need no reminders."

Randy opened his mouth to beg forgiveness, when the same messenger who had brought him to Rezo re-entered the room. He whispered to Rezo and the cardinal smiled coldly.

"Leave without delay, prince," Rezo commanded. "It appears Miss Inverse has been seen inside the city. I shall have my people take care of her. Now go, before your brother comes asking questions!"

Realizing that his job just got easier with the skilled sorceress out of the way, Prince Randolph took heart, smiled nervously, and accepted his assignment. "I shall leave within the hour."

Rezo's eyes raked the prince, assessing him one last time, and hoping he would measure up to his opponents. "There will be a guardsman at your door while you dress and to ensure your safe passage out of the palace, for your protection, naturally. Lina may try to interfere with the troop movements, and accidentally become an impediment to your leaving."

"What if she gets out of Seyruun and follows me? There are magic users at the Caprione camp. I'd be trapped!" The prince paled as the words left his mouth. Had he said too much?

He had just confirmed information that Rezo had wanted to know.

"Strong magic users?" Rezo stared intently.

"So I've been told," Randolph said.

"That could mean both Zelas and Xelloss are at that particular settlement."

Randy frowned. He didn't know the particulars about the Caprione leadership. "Who are they?"

"The leaders of all the Capriones. This isn't just any settlement; it's an important one."

Rezo returned to the window, muttering mostly to himself. "This is encouraging news! Xelloss or Zelas would have made use of the stone, had either of them suspected what that statuette contained, and I would have known if the stone had been activated by now. No, they haven't used it. Which means that the shielding spell must still be intact, or the item isn't there. One or the other."

And, as if he had just remembered Randolph was still in the room, Rezo whipped around, the metal rings atop his staff jangling together, and shouted.

"Go! You must ensure that they don't get the opportunity to find out!"

Randolph jumped in surprise. "But what about the possibility of a trap, which sounds more likely now than before? What if I'm running into a trap?"

"If Lina Inverse escapes my net and leaves this city, then I and all of the Red Guard will be on her back." Rezo's voice turned gruff, his anger flaring at the other man's hesitance to take action. "And we will concentrate our attack on the Capriones and all their allies."

Mollified at last that he wasn't being hung out to dry, Prince Randolph muttered parting words and departed.

(O)

"I don't think we oughta just go now, Lina," Gourry said, reasonably. "We don't know if Phil's gonna help us out or not."

"You're right. I didn't actually mean leave right this minute," Lina replied, gazing around the splendid ballroom.

"'Sides," Gourry said, smiling, "you look so pretty, all gussied up, hair done. And you smell like roses."

"That's because they put rose water in my bath water. Can you believe that?" she said with a little chuckle, pleased by the compliments and forgetting her irritation for the moment.

"Yeah, no one even recognized you," he said, entering dangerous territory. He just didn't know when to quit and was satisfied with his logic. "Works as good as the disguise did."

Lina turned a frowning face on him, clenching her fists. "You saying I don't look good all the time?"

"Ah...um..." Gourry realized that he was caught in a trap with only one way out. "No. You're real pretty, for sure, but wearing your hair up makes you look...taller."

Whew! Was he glad he thought of that! Lina's return to a smiling face meant no bruising jabs or poundings. Instead, her hand rose to touch her hair and trickle her fingers down the exposed and unblemished skin of her neck.

"I'm tired, though. Where's a servant who can show us where are rooms are?"

Gourry tapped a serving boy for directions, and then Lina and Gourry left the grand ball room of Seyruun to go to bed. It had been a long and stressful day. Lina toyed with a coil of dark fiber, rubbing it rythmically with her fingers. Gourry recognized it for what it was: a traditional parting gift for lovers. He had left Sylphiel with a lock of his own hair, but he was surprised, and pleased, that Xelloss had done the same.

"You miss him, don'tcha?" Gourry asked. Lina looked so forlorn that he draped an arm over her shoulders and gave her a warm hug. "I miss Sylphiel, too."

"Yeah," she smiled faintly. "I never imagined myself wanting someone to be near like that. It's just hit me. I always did okay by myself, but now I don't want to be apart. And it's not just...him... I miss the settlement, the noisy kids and the music, the smells and food, all full of life and so real. I know that sounds silly."

"Silly? Nah, sounds like love, to me. To love Xelloss, you gotta first love the settlement. I know, I do and so does Sylphiel, too."

She smiled quickly. "Love. Yeah, I'm in love. What a funny thing! We got a war to fight and you and me, we found love."

"Hope we all live to enjoy it," he said softly.

"We will, Gourry. I promise you that."

Unknown to Lina and Gourry as the pair climbed the last flight of stairs to their rooms, Princes Philionel, Christopher, and Randolph were recalled from the ballroom to the healing room. The king was dead!

"Where's Randy?" Philionel asked. "Can't find the man? How can you lose a loud-mouthed stumblebum like him? He's big as an ox! When was he last seen?"

Servants shrugged not knowing where he was or why no one had seen him all evening. No one could recall seeing him at dinner. Wide-eyed and alarmed, they dashed off in search of the youngest prince. The king was dead! Prince Randolph was missing! Rumors spread that a madman was loose in the palace, murdering the nobility.

Christopher quietly spoke to the head of the healing guild concerning the preparation of the king's remains for lying in state. Ordinarily, the job would fall to Randolph, but Christopher was a practical man who diligently performed or discharged duties as the situation dictated. Seyruun could run itself if they could prevent panic from pushing the state into chaos. The king was dead!

Philionel was shouting orders with the bearing of a man used to command, which he was, having slowly taken over for the aging king. He was furious that Randolph was neglecting his responsibilities. There was so much to do, like making a formal announcement. He charged into the ball room, bellowing.

"Silence! Silence!"

Servants scampered out of his way, often running into dancers, men and women alike, causing a murmur of angry voices rising in his wake.

"SILENCE!" Prince Philionel's voice topped them all, the musicians stopped and craned their necks to see what the commotion was about. A hush fell over the room. "The King of Seyruun had passed this evening."

He paused, eyes closed, working to control the tremor in his voice. He made no attempt to mask his grief over his father's passing. "We are now a country in mourning. Beginning immediately, the customs of mourning shall be observed. I am deeply sorry that this evening should end this way. My guests, your carriages have been called."

Amid the murmur of shocked voices, a woman shrieked, but was quickly dealt with by the gentleman nearby. His Majesty the King was dead!

"Have no fear, my friends! Seyruun is safe. It's transition will be swift and seamless under my leadership. That I can promise you."

Naturally, voices could be heard saying in agreement, King Philionel would fill the role he'd been groomed for and had been practicing all his life, The kingdom would continue as it always had, life would go on. Long live King Philionel!

The shock of the news of the king was still sharp in everyone's minds, but Philionel's comforting presence was a balm soothing the distress. The large man remained in the ballroom, answering questions and accepting condolences for several minutes, until the last of the guests had left.

With a sense of urgency, Philionel returned to the healing room, locating his brother immediately. "No sign of Randy, eh?"

"No, and that sickens me," Christopher said. "The healers have found no injury or signs of illness except for the sudden fever and symptoms of a rare disease. I've been thinking about that, and the cardinal, and our brother. It is possible, and I dread suspecting him like this, but I believe Cardinal Rezo manipulated Randy into doing this."

"You are saying that you suspect Randy poisoned mind and body of our father?"

"Yes. The more I think about the conversation I had with the cardinal, it makes me wonder about a similar one he might have had weeks ago with our brother." He looked at Philionel, eyes deeply suffering. "Randy is a weak man, you know that, Phil. He could be tantalized or blackmailed."

"Well, yes, but to kill our father? I can't believe that of him!"

"Then why is he not here? And where is Rezo? The healers called for his assistance at the end, and he was locked away in his rooms, unavailable. Unavailable and the king was dying! The servants just reported that he was no longer in those rooms. He may not be found in Seyruun."

Philionel was awash in emotional turmoil. How he missed his daughter Amelia now! He could lean on her youthful exuberance. Lina!

"Lina Inverse felt she was in danger of discovery from the cardinal. We must go to her immediately, warn her!"

Christopher grasped his brother's arm. "What will you tell her? She came to alert us to the danger of Rezo and his cleansing program, she came for our help, and she will expect an answer."

"And I will give her one. Come with me. There is nothing more we can do for the dead, and everything for the righteous living!"

(O)

"But, sir, I can handle Lina Inverse," the cardinal's right-hand man assured him with justifiable arrogance. Vurumagen had a reputation of supreme violence and cruelty, casting his spells at a power level not much less than Rezo's. "Prince Randolph is no match for both Zelas and Xelloss, and if your grandson is among them, he has no hope."

"Vurumagen, if you can't curb your disdain for Randolph, then hold your tongue!" Rezo snapped, revealing his anxiety for the first time. He had expected Lina to be slain in the streets or garroted in bed by this time. "He's a distraction, nothing more, while the guard searches for what is mine. If the Capriones' queen or her prince blasts him to the Hellmaster, then so be it. It only simplifies my having to do it myself."

"What I'm saying is that he and the guard are not enough!" Vurumagen said, teeth clenched, but refusing to back down.

Attacking the Caprione camp should have been his job, Vurumagen felt. It had been at his insistence that they explore the possibility of going there in the first place. He hated Xelloss and how he flaunted his powers, running around in disguises, teasing, taunting him. He was worse than the Inverse woman. She fought back, leaving a trail of destruction which he could point to and say "See? It may your house or business next time that the magic users destroy!" But not Xelloss. He had the gall to defeat him in ways that left him feeling powerless to fight back, and, worse, looking ridiculous.

"Most august cardinal, sir, the odds are too high against this Randolph's success. I would have infiltrated the camp and discovered all there was to know without alerting the people, but this prince will ride in, demanding that they hand over what he wants, alerting them to their defenses. He lacks any intellectual depth, has no workable strategy, and utilizes the tactics of a thug. Zelas will not let the guard escape with a hostage or an item of interest, and the guard cannot beat Xelloss. You or I shall have to go."

"Not until I see that Lina Inverse witch!" Rezo hissed. "Find her and bring her to me before the sun rises!"

"That is already too late. The sun is up. Randolph will soon reach the settlement. It may too late as it is."

Rezo met his eyes in an ill-contained fury. "All right! I shall go after them, but you take care of Lina inverse without fail. Understand?"

Vurumagen bowed deeply, concealing a knowing smile under his hood. He knew better than to test his commander's patience any longer.

"Yes, sir. Your will be done."

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Five.**


	26. Morning Mayhem

**_Capriones 8/13/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Six -- Morning Mayhem **

Lina and Gourry had slept soundly that night, but a noisy commotion of thundering feet and raised voices outside their door brought them to sudden wakefulness.

"What is it?" Lina asked. Her head jerked up from her downy pillow, her eyes blazing with reflected color. "Fire?"

"Can't tell," Gourry replied. He had chosen to sleep on the floor of Lina's room, rather than his own bed, in order to better protect Lina. He was already on his feet, hitching on his sword belt. "Sounds bad out there. I'm gonna look."

The walls by the windows were stained as if smeared with gore from a savage fight. Lina threw off the covers fully awake. She yanked on her boots and gloves, tossed the beautiful cloak that Xelloss had given her over her shoulders, and rushed to the window. The morning dawned ruddy, red fingers of light slicing through tattered black clouds as they raced across the sky. It was an ominous start to the day and a sign of war.

"No, it's just the sunrise, but looks like rain for the ride back."

"I'm still gonna take a look outside."

"Yeah, but I'm coming too. Where's my..? Oh, thanks," she said with an apologetic smile as he handed over her sword and parcel. "Good thing I thought of packing last night for a quick getaway."

"Yep." Gourry waited for Lina to "dis-spell" her security lock before opening the door.

The first palace servant rushed past them, too harried to stop and answer their questions, but not the second. "Prince...er...his lordship requires you in his private quarters immediately!"

"Yeah, sure," Lina said, falling in step beside him and Gourry trotting behind. "But while we're at it, fill me in on what you know's going on."

"The king died last night!" the young man said, breathing heavily. "We must pull the curtains and hang the black drapes, cover the mirrors, remove the flowers... endless jobs to put the palace into mourning."

"Oh, that's pretty terrible, and sudden," Lina said, not knowing what else she could convey honestly since his passing wasn't unexpected and he hadn't been a particularly effective king from her standpoint.

She didn't ask him for any details. The flustered servant was concerned with his duties and the confusion and uproar that was causing. Lina would have to wait to question Prince Philionel. The death of the king meant that Phil was now ruler of the kingdom. Lina was glad the man still remembered she was there and hoped he had decided to fight Rezo. It was Philionel himself who met them at the door to his private sitting room and ushered them to a table. His brother, Christopher, was the only other man present, and he looked terrible. He cradled a cup of tea in his hands, his face was ashen and he looked as if he might drop.

"Go ahead, Christopher, sit down, too. You all eat while I talk," Phil said. "It's all you'll be getting for some time, I daresay."

Lina and Gourry had no problem with that, and started shoveling in the food without remark. Christopher sat, but did not eat.

"Randy has left Seyruun by all accounts. He's gone and entangled himself, it appears, with that damnable Cardinal Rezo. I'm afraid Rezo duped him into conspiring against his own father, his country! I didn't keep a close enough eye on him as priest and advisor to our father, and now this happens."

"No, not ole Randy!" Lina exclaimed.

"I thought the king was sick," Gourry said.

"He was; although, it was unnatural. He died from ingesting some, as yet, unidentified poison," Christopher explained. "Randy was the only one attending him from the onset of our father's decline to his death. An unidentified potion bottle was discovered at the king's residence, and another one, it's twin, discarded in the back of a closet in Randy's room here. The evidence is damning."

"But not conclusive," Lina pointed out. "Have you asked him about it? It could have been planted to make him look guilty."

"I would like to think that was possible," Philionel said, striding across the room and back. "But his horse is missing from the stables and his groomsman said he was in the company of Red Guardsmen. Randy has left the palace, and, apparently, Seyruun."

"It gets worse." Philionel held up a hand, pausing to control his grief, his face drawn and haggard from worry. "It was just reported that Rezo's horse is also gone, and it's assumed he's following the others. Sentries reported troops riding out last night, I'm guessing led by Randy, and later a lone rider leaving Seyruun, oh...I'd say not even more than an hour ago, very likely Rezo. A few minutes later the city must have emptied of every Red Guard unit it had! They all took to the road that leads to the nearest Caprione settlement."

He pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. "I just don't understand Randy doing this-- a traitor to the throne! He must be insane, a puppet controlled by the cardinal! Unless, Rezo has gone to stop Randy...?"

"Not possible!" Lina shouted. "Why would Rezo stop him from rampaging through the settlement looking for me or Zelgadiss or whatever? Rezo means to wipe out the Capriones, not save them!"

Gourry shook Lina's shoulder, urging her out the door. "We gotta go then!"

"Absolutely!" Lina agreed. "Phil, you are sending your army, right? Remember, Amelia's there at that camp. We have no time to lose!"

"Amelia, yes!" Phil said. There was no time to ponder the politics. He must decide immediately his course of action. "Christopher, muster the palace guard and protect our city! Root out any of remaining Red Guard and lock 'em up! Lina, Gourry go ahead, I shall take command of my forces as a king must. I shall lead my army to the settlement where Rezo will meet The Gentle Fists of Justice!"

As Philionel called for his generals, Lina and Gourry dashed through the palace, hoping the prince and his army would arrive before the settlement was wiped out. Lina hoped that Zelas and Xelloss could hold off Randy, Rezo, and the Red Guard until she got there. Rezo was hers. Phil's army would do bang-up job of ridding the land of the Red Guard, but only if they were in time, and only if Rezo was out of the picture.

Xelloss' face floated to the top of the things on Lina's mind, but she pushed it down, loading immediate concerns on top to hold it in place. If she thought of Xelloss, she would cry. She could not bear to dream of returning to him-- his smile, his soft voice, the gentle pressure of his kiss on her lips-- because it created too sweet a distraction while there was so much to fight for standing between them. But she could not think of failure, his or hers, and never seeing him again, because it robbed her of hope. At some point he had become her reward. Not freeing Amelia, not saving the world from Rezo, just enveloping herself in his love.

Lina shoved Xelloss image away again. She couldn't wait to reach the settlement, and yet she would be leaving Seyruun with regret. Its beauty made it unlike any city she'd ever seen, but there was sadness there. It was a city on the precipice of decay, occupied by a foreign presence, a society looking to the past, disturbed and angry, fighting for the future. There were those who were crushed and resentful awaiting the moment to strike back; there were the Cardinal's people who knew they were away from home in a city which did not want them; and then there were the expatriates who belonged nowhere and lived on memories and dreams.

Lina mourned its passing for a moment, then tried to express this to Gourry as they collected their horse at the stables, but he was more concerned about the comfort of travel arrangements and returning home to his fiancé, and had no interest in Lina's reflections.

When offered her choice of horses from the King's best, Lina admitted that she couldn't ride, and then climbed onto the white horse with a hand up from Gourry. Together again, they trotted wordlessly toward the gates, the horse moving out of the freshly scrubbed courtyard in a clatter of slippery hooves and jingling accoutrements. She sighed, releasing some of her pent up frustration. What she needed was some action to blow off a little steam. She knew it would come soon enough; it was the waiting that she hated.

A flash of light was all the warning Lina had seconds before a devastating spell hit them. She threw up a massive magical barrier, shielding the horse and the two riders from the assault. The energy bounced off and Gourry had the horse reigned in and his sword drawn before the next spell hit.

"Glad your magic's back," Gourry shouted in her ear, wincing with the impact.

In the narrow confines of the tall, stone-walled buildings, the explosions ricocheted and echoed around them. Even shielded from the blast, the noise was deafening and the brilliant radiation of light near blinding.

"Where's it coming from?" Lina screamed.

Gourry pointed upwards with his sword. Sure enough, Lina could make out a robed figure mostly obscured behind a parapet. "A Red Guard sorcerer. A strong one. Damn! We don't need delays!"

She powered up her amulets. "Direct this spell at him using your sword," she shouted as she cast her fireball onto his blade.

Gourry had never done anything quite like this before, but he did as she said. With a powerful flick of his arm and wrist, Gourry sent the spell rocketing upwards, blasting away the low wall on contact. They heard a howl of dismay.

"Did we get him?" Gourry asked.

"No, whoever it was got away into the building, I'd guess," Lina said. "Let's get out of here."

The horse was frightened and hesitant to move, but Gourry was a sure rider, calming and steering the animal past the palace gates. Another explosion caught them off-guard, this time missing them, but causing the horse to bolt in terror. Gourry was fully consumed with controlling the horse, while Lina prepared another spell and attempted to locate the source of the attack. This time, the robed figure was closer. A red jewel glowed dimly from his forehead.

"Vurumagen!" Lina growled. "You will die!"

She finished her incantation and cast her spell. The sorcerer countered it with one of his own, which was weaker, but minimized the damage it otherwise would have done to him. Vurumagen swooned to the side, stunned and immobilized temporarily by Lina's attack. She knew she had only seconds to take him down before he could recover fully, so she triggered the amulets to full power and let loose a volley of offensive spells. A blast splattered at Vurumagen's feet, then traveled up his body, encasing it in a glowing white film. Lina looked around for the caster, and spotted Prince Christopher stepping out into the roadway.

"Go on!" the prince shouted. "I'll take care of this man. He shall face Seyruun justice under our law."

"Thanks!" Lina shouted and waved. "Okay, Gourry, let's go!"

"Ya know, Lina," Gourry said. "Traveling with you is like passing through a bad part of town."

"How's that?"

"Well, ya gotta go fast and don't look back."

Lina smiled and closed he eyes, felling the rush of wind on her face. Something niggled at the back of her mind. Something she forgot. As they sped past the outer wall of the city, Lina remembered all the belongings she had left back at the palace-- hers, Sylphiel's, and Filia's.

"Damn," she muttered. "Guess I'll have to go back." Then she smiled thinking, "After this is all over."

(O)

They took their breakfasts standing and facing the fire, teased from embers moments before by Milgasia. At their altitude, fall meant morning frosts, crisp days, and cold nights. Xelloss sipped his tea, warming his hands as he watched Milgasia's face intently, looking for a clue to his decision. He wanted to leave at once, beating Rezo to the settlement, but he knew it wouldn't do to push his host any further; Milgasia would become more stubborn. He'd have to curb his impatience a little longer. Now that the crisis with Zelgadiss was over, Xelloss' thoughts had returned to Lina. He needed to find out how Lina was. Was she safe from Rezo? Was he already at the settlement? Xelloss had to go, and go now, taking Zelgadiss with him. The thought of going home was sweet, like a burst of warmth inside him.

Zelgadiss, acutely aware of his changed appearance, kept fiddling with his hair and admiring its softness. As eager as he was to lead a revolt against Cardinal Rezo, he was satisfied for the moment with regaining his humanity and lingering near the fire to enjoy it. The cure and near-death experience had left him weak, which he hated to have to admit to Xelloss. He could use a day of inactivity and rest.

Valgaav was of a similar mind. Returning to the Caprione settlement, and to Zelas, even at the head of a fighting force from a related tribe of his people, could wait at least until he was awake, and better yet, after a leisurely walk out to the central lake. Filia was far less patient, but then she knew Milgasia best of all of them.

"I know it's right for our people to take the offensive against Rezo, and not pretend he will forget us or that we're invisible up here," she said.

Milgasia paused and smiled a half smile. "I know, dear, but broken clocks are right twice a day."

"Yes!" she snapped back. "And this is one of those times."

"Actually, I agree," Milgasia said with a chuckle.

"What does that mean?" Zelgadiss asked, shaken from his lethargy and now anxious to get back to the settlement, and Amelia. "You'll fight with us?"

"To speak frankly, yes," Milgasia answered. "Which is why, after you went to bed, I called for a mustering of men and circulated the rumor that they will be led by a warrior prince." He shot Valgaav a direct look. "That's you, by the way, so don't disappoint them. It would make me look bad." He smiled wryly.

Valgaav choked on the food in his mouth and was unable to add anything, so Milgasia continued.

"I should like to accompany you. I'm willing to take the rear guard position."

Valgaav wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and frowned as he regained control of his voice, while Xelloss slowly nodded his approval. "Yeah, sure. Ah, thanks, sir," Valgaav said, barely containing a tone of resentment from surfacing in his voice. He mumbled to himself, "That way you can stab me in the back."

The group quickly finished eating and then readied themselves for the descent back to Caprione land. Outside in the late morning haze, it was freezing. Torchlight glistened on the film of ice covering the path. Vapor clouded the horses' noses as they snorted, waiting impatiently to move and get warm.

"I was thinking that Zelgadiss should remain here and recuperate," Milgasia said so that only Xelloss could hear him. "It is a hard ride back to your settlement."

Xelloss hesitated in the road. The wind was knife-edged, and ice rimmed the cobbles, making them slippery. His breath was a plume of vapor in the air.

"No," Xelloss said at last. "Zel wouldn't never agree to stay behind. He must recover his strength on the ride home as best he can. He's needed for the battle to come."

"As you wish, but don't ask me again to bring him back from the brink of death if you're wrong," Milgasia said.

He lent Zelgadiss a horse, and climbed upon his own, one of a stable filled with other beautiful palominos.

"Not the most practical mount for the mountain roads, but I use them in the valley, and they are a lovely sight," Milgasia said.

"This way," he said to Valgaav, "and I'll introduce you to your people."

"If you don't mind," Xelloss said. "Zelgadiss and I will head back now."

"Good idea," Milgasia said, more than happy not to have to explain Xelloss' appearance.

"What about me?" Filia asked tartly. She wanted catch Valgaav's eye, but didn't want him to think she was begging for an invitation to remain with him, although she was.

"Do what you want," Xelloss replied.

Valgaav assumed Filia was coming with him. They had teamed up well– hadn't she understood that? He shouldn't have to remind her.

Zelgadiss shouted to her, "Aren't your friends back at the camp? Come on!"

Valgaav realized that it was possible he needed Filia more than she him, and if he was to count on her strength at his side, powering his spells, then he must speak up now.

"She's with me, us."

Filia dared to meet his golden gaze.

"You want to see how this plays out, don't you?" Valgaav asked.

She searched his face until his expression changed. He wasn't pleading, but he was close.

"Of course I do. Thanks, Zel," Filia shouted over her shoulder as she urged her horse toward the valley. "We'll all meet up in a few hours."

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Six.**


	27. Prince Randolph

_**Capriones 8/16/2006 **_

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Prince Randolph **

It had been a terrible day and an even worse night. When Zelgadiss failed to recover promptly, Amelia broke down. She was overwhelmed by the profound fear that she may have contributed to his death. Sylphiel remained to comfort her after Xelloss rushed Zelgadiss away. After a short time, the two young women moved to Xelloss' tent where they avoided curious eyes and, when night finally ended the painful day, slept fitfully. As the following morning dragged on without word from Xelloss, Amelia had refused to eat, but Sylphiel succeeded in getting her to drink some tea. Zelgadiss had not returned, nor had Xelloss, Lina, or Gourry. There was nothing to do but wait, and hope. The two young women were seated on pillows, when a young boy's voice called from outside the tent.

"Princess, Queen Zelas asks for you to join her immediately."

Terror struck Amelia at the servant's sudden appearance. Amelia was worried that Zelgadiss' absence had been discovered, that her sham marriage to Xelloss had been unveiled, or that her night with Zelgadiss had been revealed– or all three. Her nerves were already raw from worry; this might prove too awful a trial for her. Sylphiel reached out and touched her hand reassuringly.

"Go ahead. I'll follow you and keep out of sight," Sylphiel whispered. "We have to stick together, Amelia."

"Thank you..."

The prince nearly filled Zelas' tent with his imposing presence. Like Prince Philionel, Randy was more than average height with the musculature of a wrestler. He wasn't dark like his older brothers; his fine, blonde hair hung limply and looked matted even when clean. His broken nose lent character to his robustly handsome features and his overall rugged masculinity sparked Zelas' interest.

"Prince Randolph, hello," she said, smiling slightly and extending a hand, which he took and kissed lightly. "My name is Zelas, Queen of the Capriones."

"Zelas, an uncommon, but lovely name," he said, his voice carrying a ragged edge no amount of training could smooth out; it was a male family trait. "Nice to meet you."

Zelas felt his eyes rove over her body quickly before sliding away self-consciously. He appeared uncomfortable in her presence. She was a woman of loose morals, a wild, free creature, who knew how alluring she was to men of suppressed natures like him.

"What can I do for a prince of Seyruun?" she said suggestively.

"I'm looking for something. Two people, outlaws."

"And you believe I'm harboring criminals of Seyruun here?" she asked, her smile bemused, watching him from beneath her eyelashes.

He blushed, answering quickly, "Not knowingly, I'm sure."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose while sneaking glances around the room. Whatever he was looking for, he would not find it in her tent, she was certain. She might as well savor the moment while measuring the man. Zelas invited him to choose a pillow cluster to lounge on with a graceful sweep of her arm.

"Would you like refreshments after your long ride?"

"Um, no, thank you." He continued to stand. "I'm looking for a man, a small one with unusual scarring and a girl, an outlaw sorceress named Lina Inverse."

Zelas understood that Lina had spent the previous day in the company of her son, Gourry, and neither had joined her for dinner or returned to their tents last night. From her standpoint, it was safe to say another wedding was soon to be announced. Returning her thoughts to the moment, she could smile sincerely, because, technically, Lina wasn't there in the camp proper. Zelas didn't feel the necessity to admit to this man that Lina ever had been there.

"My son owns a slave who's scarred. I have no idea where he is currently. Lina Inverse... I know who she is. She isn't here. You are welcome to look around, if you don't believe me."

Randy appeared to be discouraged by this news. A low rumble escaped his throat and the prince's brows drew together. "I'm not looking for a slave type. The man I want would be defiant. Well, I'll have that look around. There is an object of great value, a stolen item, which bandits may have traded... possibly it's here."

Zelas wondered who sent this man. He clearly wasn't here on his own accord. He lacked the enthusiasm necessary to carry out his job, so, she wondered, what was he really here for? Her thoughts were interrupted when Amelia pushed through the tent flaps, a servant at her side.

"Queen Zelas, you called for me? Is something the matter?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Amelia was totally unprepared to see Prince Randolph with Zelas. "Uncle Randy?"

"Amelia, dear," Zelas said, meaning to comfort her realizing that the poor thing must think that her father sent this man to bring her back. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I know newlyweds enjoy their private time together, but your uncle has come looking for a scarred boy and a sorceress, neither of whom are here to my knowledge."

She paused, letting the information sink in and the color to return to Amelia's face before continuing. "He is also looking for an object we may have received in trade. To show our cooperation with the royalty of Seyruun, I'd like you to be his guide." Zelas looked directly at Randy adding, "She is recently married to my son."

Randy did not react to the import of the news.

Amelia, however, agreed immediately, relief apparent in her voice. "Yes, ma'am. Uncle Randy, maybe you should describe this thing so I can help you search?"

As Amelia and her uncle left the tent, Zelas summoned her servant. "Have Xelloss follow them, and warn him to hide his slave."

"He's not here," the servant said looking over his shoulder just to be certain Xelloss hadn't snuck in behind him.

"Good, that's what I want, but find Xelloss."

The servant fought with his confusion a moment. He hadn't seen Zelgadiss either, but it was Xelloss whom he had meant.

"I haven't seen him." However, since he knew her next command would be to find him, he simply nodded, adding, "But I will!" and rushed off.

Unsuccessful at seducing the man, Zelas now wished to rid the settlement of the bothersome prince. As far as she was concerned, Prince Randolph was a dead loss. She felt no allegiance to the nobility of Seyruun, but she required their armies to fight her battle against the cardinal. All in all they were a lot of trouble to her; that's what Xelloss was for. Why have clever, resourceful sons if not to ease the burdens of her life? Hopefully, Xelloss would prove correct and Valgaav would bring the Cepheid tribes to her aid. She wouldn't wish to ask Milgasia to intercede on their behalf; she already owed him far too much as it was.

Zelas brushed away past memories with a toss of her hair, preferring to clear more space for future planning than to dwell unnecessarily on the past. Then there was her other son. If Gourry were to marry the sorceress, then her circle of power would be complete. That might be arranged today.

"Locate Gourry for me and bring him here. I'd like a word with him," she ordered another servant.

Amelia trotted alongside her uncle, her mind lost in worry concerning Zelgadiss' welfare. She had no idea whether or not he was alive. She did not notice how odd her uncle was acting, his agitation, until an hour's fruitless search began to tell on his nerves.

"This is ridiculous. I'll never find it this way."

"Well, if I had a better idea of what it was you are looking for, maybe I could help more," Amelia suggested.

"That's not good," he muttered, more to himself than in answer to her. "I'll have to call in the guard."

As he trampled over her foot in his sudden change of direction, Randy's irritation grew. "Get out of my way!" he said furiously.

"The guard?" Amelia wondered, nursing her bruised toes with a healing spell. "What guard? Daddy's guard? You brought them with you?

Randy ignored her and stomped off the way he had come. Amelia's thoughts turned to Lina and Gourry. So their trip had been successful? She was about to ask her uncle about them, when it occurred to her that he had just told Zelas that he was looking for Lina. Hadn't Randy seen Lina in Seyruun and come to help? Hadn't Randy been sent from her father, bringing the palace guard with him as aid for their cause? The horror struck her just then, than it wasn't the palace guard her uncle was summoning, but Rezo's Red Guard! She looked hard at his retreating back wondering what had changed her uncle so much. He hadn't greeted her, asked about her, or even recognized her! She kicked herself for not noticing his odd behavior immediately.

_Oh, Zelgadiss! Please be okay!_

Amelia and Randy had walked to the outskirts of the settlement. A scattering of tents and caravans were to their left and to the right a copse of trees, large enough and dense enough to conceal the guardsman.

"If you've brought the Red Guard here," Amelia shouted. "I'll stop you! They are unrighteous murderers! They don't abide by their own laws! They'll kill these people without due cause or a trial!"

Randy turned around, his frown twisting into a sneer as he curled a lip. "Yes, they will. Every man, woman and child will die until I've found what I'm searching for."

Amelia realized with an icy chill that Xelloss and Zelgadiss would be returning and so were Lina and Gourry and they'd be heading into a trap. Innocents were in danger! The possibility of terrible devastation required extreme measures to prevent it. Amelia wondered if she had the courage to stand up to her uncle and the Red Guard, alone if it was required, in order to ensure justice was served.

"This is a nightmare!" Amelia shouted.

"No, it is worse. It's real and you won't wake up from it."

"Why are you doing this, Uncle Randy?" Amelia cried out in a last desperate appeal to his better nature. "You were always looking for the peaceful solution. You were never a murder!"

Randy laughed at Amelia. "You've always been an opinionated creature, with an excessive need to dictate what is right and wrong. Do you remember once, when you were just a child visiting Atlas City, you were nearly killed trying to defend some mad, outspoken revolutionary? The wretched man was making a ridiculous speech in the street and a contingent of the Red Guard attacked him. You strode in shouting like a... a barrack room soldier. Called the guardsmen terrible names and shook your fist up at them, threatening them!"

His voice rose in incredulity. "The most absurd thing about it all was that you didn't even agree with what the man was saying, but, as you told me later, it was the principal of the act. He had the right to speak out and that was worth saving, you said."

Randy smirked. "Too bad you didn't let them kill me then, because then I wouldn't been captured and brainwashed later into killing the king, my father, and now you, too."

"That man I saved...back then... was you?"

"Oh, yes. I was a brave man."

"You k-killed the k-king?" As the initial shock wore off, the contempt in her face was plain. "And you call yourself a brave man? I won't let you hurt these people! Fight me here, one on one!"

Randy attacked first, opening fire with a volley of Fireball spells. Amelia deftly dodged or countered them with new spells she had learned from Zelgadiss. The few days of training were paying off! What she really wanted to try was the powerful Ra Tilt spell, but her uncle's attack continued unbroken, giving her no opportunity to carry off a lengthy incantation.

When the bombardment cut off unexpectedly, Amelia didn't hesitate. She drew her sword and began the spell. She nearly choked on the magic words when without warning skeletal creatures appeared to rise from the ground. Randy was summoning demons! Now the onslaught was from all sides at once, and she had no time to think. Amelia relied on her fighting skills and courage to face them down, but that courage nearly failed when she glimpsed men in ankle-long robes, swords gleaming and held high, at the forest edge. At his word, she figured, they could cover the short distance in minutes to join in the attack. She didn't think she could beat her uncle, his denizens from Hell, and the Red Guard at once!

She let out an involuntary squeal when a boney hand shot out, snatching at her cape. There was a dry, scraping followed by a ripping of fabric as she spun away from its grasp.

"Ahhh! Go away!"

Amelia wasn't the only one who recognized the danger. Capriones were fleeing the area, dragging children, carrying the weak, scattering she-knew-not-where. She heard a voice shout a warning over her shoulder.

"Get down!"

Amelia was jerked backwards a step under the pull of power surging beyond her field of vision. Instinctively, she threw up a shield, the strongest she could devise, flattened herself onto the ground, and then thanked the gods for Sylphiel.

Sylphiel was not a talented magic user, but she had overheard Lina repeating the incantation and watched her practice often enough to attempt casting it herself. Hoping that it wouldn't blast away any portion of the settlement, she let out the final words of her spell.

"Dragon Slave!"

A pulse of energy roared from the priestess' hands, over Amelia's barrier, blasting the monstrous, bony demons helter-skelter. Had the spell been delivered by Lina, its force might have cratered the area for miles around, but low-powered as it was, it was effective at altering the odds for the moment.

When the dust cleared, Amelia, Sylphiel, and Randy remained standing, the demons gone, reduced to piles of broken bones, the immediate area swept clean of structures and people. In the distance, Red Guard on horseback were emerging from the cover of the trees untouched by the spell. When she searched his face, Amelia was certain there was hope left, that there was some goodness left in him.

"Uncle Randy!" Amelia cried out. "Please stop! You can end this madness, and madness it must have been to have made you kill grandfather!"

"Father was weak, unwilling to defend us from our enemies and uphold the law."

"Enemies? You mean he didn't agree with Cardinal Rezo and would not condone the massacre of magic users? Help me fight injustice! Fight against Rezo and for justice, for what is right! You can make a difference and atone for your mistakes, offer redress for your misjudgment, starting here and now with these people!"

"That is not achievable. It is too late. What happens to these people doesn't matter. We must save our own," he said.

"It matters!" she said urgently. "If you allow this injustice without doing all we can against it, what are we worth?"

Amelia looked at him, her eyes entreating him to change his course of action and join her fight. Hearing the passion in her voice moved him; he looked away from her, avoiding her eyes, pretending to be thinking deeply of spiritual matters.

"That is just like you, full of pity and anger and courage, bound on some cause, not listening to anyone who tells you the impossibility of it," he said with derision.

The vision of Rezo's face appeared in his mind, reminding him of his recent actions and promises. For him, there was no going back. He had killed his father, the king. He had forsaken his sworn duties to his country. He had no choice but to do as the cardinal had ordered.

Amelia watched the emotional turmoil run across her uncle's face. Softening some, and then hardening, a cruel smile twisted his mouth into an unrecognizable mask. She hadn't convinced him, she thought with sorrow, which meant that she must prepare to defend the Capriones and herself from whatever would come next. Carefully, she recited the Ra Tilt spell and garnered her strength for the resulting conflagration.

Randy roared an oath, expelling a fiery spell Amelia didn't know. She released her own casting an instant later as she shouted the power words: "Ra Tilt!"

The spells collided, threatening to annihilate both castings, quenching their force, but Amelia's was stronger, riding over the other, enveloping Prince Randolph in a glowing miasma.

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Seven.**


	28. Heir Apparent

_**Capriones 8/16/2006 **_

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Heir Apparent**

It was a terrible sight. Amelia's casting hurtled pulsating, electrical energy through the body of Prince Randolph of Seyruun, short-circuiting every nerve in its path. His face wrenched into a silent scream and his body convulsed. Sylphiel stumbled to where Amelia was standing, weak and shaken, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around the princess and held her tightly while both watched the man's final death spasms.

In the distance rose a cry, which Amelia first thought was in support of her, but when she heard Sylphiel groan, she looked up. Rezo had arrived with his red cloak flapping and jangling staff upraised. The cheers rose from the Red Guard troops who had accompanied Randy, greeting him with vehement enthusiasm as a demonstration of their loyalty. Behind him were hundreds more men, darkening the fields beyond; possibly the entire Red Guard was bearing down on the Caprione settlement.

On the second day since Princess Amelia had been married twice, she faced Cardinal Rezo. She was exhausted, her energy drained from casting the Ra Tilt which had killed her uncle, and Zelgadiss had not returned. Hope drained from her.

"Oh, Sylphiel," Amelia said with despair. "We can't fight this alone."

At her side and partially supporting her, the priestess, Miss Sylphiel, took heart when she felt Amelia losing her courage.

"Amelia!" Sylphiel cried out. "We don't have to-- look!"

With rustling shirts, the beautiful Queen Zelas of the Capriones joined them apparently prepared to enter the fray in defense of her people.

"Move out! Find the statuette and kill anyone in your way!" Rezo's voice could be discerned even from their distance.

"Looks like he has big plans," Sylphiel said.

"Rezo's brought several companies of his own– more than enough to raise this place to the ground," Amelia said, "which can only mean that after he has "cleansed" the settlement, he's taking his guard for a tour of the valley, wiping out anyone lending aid to the fleeing Capriones in one unrighteous act of criminal intent!"

Sylphiel tugged at Amelia's sleeve. "Leave Rezo to Zelas. There's nothing we can do to stop him, but there are those innocent people that need our protection."

"Yes," Amelia said with renewed purpose. "We must protect them from injustice and demonstrate that magic and law can co-exist. The righteousness of our cause gives us strength and will lead us to success!"

"Uh, huh," Sylphiel agreed half listening and pushed Amelia ahead of her. "I hope Miss Lina gets here fast."

Zelas swept past them wordlessly, skirts flowing, bangles jingling. Zelas was angry. What should have been a nuisance visit from some small-beans prince, one easily handled, a matter quickly disposed of, had now grown out of proportion to an all-out altercation with a powerful sorcerer. The situation was moving from the realm of inconvenience to danger, giving her cause to worry.

She had long ago handed off her offensive tasks, both unsavory and aggressive, to her sons. For Gourry, who had only mild inherent magical abilities- and those only for his father's heirloom sword- she had obtained the finest sword training to be found. Valgaav had received a combination of sword and magic training, as suited his nature. Xelloss was born her equal in power, and so she had vested Xelloss with her amulets, giving him magical abilities superior to her own. And he had Lina...

_Xelloss should be here to handle this man. Damn him anyway! And he sent Valgaav off as well leaving her practically defenseless! And where had Gourry taken Lina off to? _

Now was the time for Lina and Xelloss to utilize the training she'd put into them. Zelas believed her magic could take Rezo out, but she wasn't sure it would be enough to defeat the Red Guard at the same time. Her sons and Lina were her insurance against failure, but they were missing.

Rezo and Zelas faced off, measuring each other with narrowed eyes, neither willing to make the first move or reveal a hidden weakness. The air tingled. Electricity from the threatening thunderstorm was rapidly sucked up, charging both magic users with energy, crackling when Rezo raised his staff or Zelas gestured.

Zelas felt Rezo's eyes on her, studying her as she approached. His smile grew smug as she neared, as if he sensed victory was at hand. She attempted a minor enchantment, tempting him with a glamour spell, but discovered that he was blind to women's charms.

"Witch! I accuse you of thievery, harboring criminals, and sorcery. Your punishment is death. You may save the lives of your people, if you turnover the statuette that is mine and the two outlaws."

(o)

It had taken Rodimus and Zolf no time at all to enlist the fighting strength of Zelgadiss' followers and leave Atlas City in hopes of freeing from the Capriones Zel before Rezo discovered his whereabouts. Unencumbered by rations or equipment beyond their weaponry, the grim faced troops rode hard and swiftly.

"Look! Thunderstorm ahead!" shouted a man at the head of the line.

Rodimus joined him momentarily. "That's no storm—that's Rezo!" he shouted, then spurned his horse into the lead.

Racing to catch up, Zolf brought his horse head to head with Rodimus'.

"Are we too late?" Zolf asked.

"No, there's no smoke. Rezo's still drawing power, but we must ride directly."

Wizened ex-commanders under Rezo and green, young revolutionaries alike halted as Rodimus wheeled around his horse and announced, "No stopping now! Zelgadiss is there facing that! We will not allow him to face Rezo alone, not this time!"

"To war!" cried Zolf.

"To war!" roared the stalwort men in their wake.

(o)

The smell of ozone was heavy in the air. Flashes of light and thunderous roars grew more brilliant and resonant as Xelloss and Zelgadiss rode through the valley. They suspected that the storm ahead wasn't all weather related and urged their steeds to gallop faster.

"Rezo's near!" Zelgadiss shouted to Xelloss. "I recognize his magical aura."

Xelloss clenched his jaw and drove the horses off the main road and onto a little used path. "Faster way," he explained crisply.

Capriones fleeing the settlement met them within the horse encampment, where the familiar scent of dry straw mixed with the sharp tang of fright and sweat. One man caught Xelloss' eye and ran to meet them.

"Prince! I'm taking the women and children to safety. I didn't know what else to do. There's no time to harness horses to the caravans or even a few wagons and save anything else," he said.

"Zangalus," Xelloss interrupted, "Has Lina returned...with Gourry?"

"No."

Zelgadiss asked, "Have you seen Amelia?"

"I think so. She used some pretty impressive magic on some loud-mouthed kin of hers, and then all hell broke loose with these murderous monks," the man explained. "And now she and another sorceress were our queen, last I saw."

"The Red Guard is inside our borders?" Xelloss said, dismounting. "Here, take my horse, Zangalus. Take all the horses! Guide everyone toward the mountains where the Golden Cepheid tribes live. Reinforcements will be coming from that direction."

"Okay," Zangalus said and changed horses, giving his to the next passing man. He didn't mind the upgrade to Xelloss' fine animal.

Xelloss looked over at Zelgadiss, nodding to the side. "We can move unseen on foot, avoid any guard, and get close to Rezo."

"Fine." Zelgadiss jumped off his beautiful palimino relunctantly, and lent it to a lucky man assisting children out of the camp.

Everyone was frightened, but heartened by Xelloss' arrival. They smiled and wished both men well as he and Zelgadiss plunged on, heading upstream closer to the confluence of magical activity. Along the way, Zelgadiss strained his eyes for a glimpse of Amelia, and Xelloss searched for his mother, questioning anyone running past for any clue to where he could find either woman.

"I don't see them," Xelloss said, puzzled.

"Me, neither," Zel agreed unhappily.

As they entered the part of the settlement nearest Seyruun, the only people they spotted were Red Guardsmen, searching tents. Zelgadiss slit the throats of any he could without drawing attention. Xelloss moved unobserved the final few yards, hiding from guardsmen, shattering one or two with a deadly magical spell, gutting a few more with black energy, until an abrupt turn brought them onto the main road leading to the road to Seyruun. Rezo was easily discernable even at that distance in his red mantle and cloak. He was leaning heavily on his staff, a few his guard near at hand, perhaps listening as his issued commands, but hundreds more were standing in scattered clusters reaching out to the horizon.

Xelloss and Zelgadiss stepped out into the open. There was no sign of Amelia, Sylphiel, or Zelas. Both men hoped that meant they were still safe. Catching sight of Xelloss and Zelgadiss, Rezo squared his shoulders and straightened.

"I want to talk to him first," Zelgadiss said. His clear brow clouded over with dark memories mixed with apprehension.

Xelloss nodded and let his friend pass. He kept his eyes on Zelgadiss, but Xelloss was aware of the large oddly perverse figure of Rezo in the background. Now and again he felt a prickle of danger from the powerful man. There was something in the cardinal's confident stance which suggested he would become an ugly enemy.

Rezo didn't move, but his eyes followed Zelgadiss' arrival with complete absorption. He said nothing. His raised hand checked the guard from intercepting the young man.

"Grandfather."

"Zelgadiss! I wasn't certain it was you. You found someone able to cure you then?" Rezo quickly covered his surprise at Zel's dramatic change in appearance.

"Obviously," Zelgadiss spat contemptuously. "You have overstepped your bounds coming here."

"I have no boundaries. Soon, I shall rule all the civilized world."

"It won't work your way."

"Oh? You think you and your silly revolutionaries know better?"

"Yes. First of all," Zelgadiss said, "get rid the suppressive laws. Get rid of all the mistakes of the past. Make a clean sweep of it and start over."

"With new rules?" Rezo smiled. "Your rules?"

"There you go again!" Zelgadiss accused him. "You can't even think without rules. You pretend to be listening, but you're not. You're just like all the other would-be leaders with god-like aspirations; imposing your will on everyone else. Power, power, power all the time. No rules, people are suffocating under them already."

"So, what do you want? Remove the laws and you have, well, apart from chaos, no food, fighting in the streets, no heat, no transportation, no commerce, no protection for the weak. That is what you revolutionaries want in place of my ordered society?"

"Of course we don't want that! None of us want real chaos, just an end to the oppression. Whoever heard anything so totally idiotic as destroying all justice so you could create order again from the resulting chaos?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Xelloss noticed a man bending over a formless mass on the ground. On second glance, he found that it was Milgasia applying healing magic to the fallen. The picture came into closer focus, and Xelloss recognized the still form being attended.

"No..." he murmured under his breath, backing up to intervene, leaving Rezo and Zelgadiss locked in verbal battle.

**End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Eight.**


	29. Family Ties

_**Capriones 8/16/2006 **_

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Family Ties**

"Hey, wait up! Don't you know that being a woman you're supposed to follow behind me?" Valgaav chided Filia, but he was grinning as he urged his horse to catch up.

They were leading their horses through the final treacherous pass. Heavy rain had washed out a bridge minutes before they attempted to cross, and the Cepheid troops had had to take alternate paths down the mountain. It meant delays upon delays: downed trees, rock slides, and flooded, gutted trails, but to rush would have endangered the horses more.

"I am aware of that outmoded way of thinking. Actually, I don't even mind_ walking_ two paces behind a man, if only I can find one who can walk two paces faster than _me_! I hate having to pretend I'm a cripple to preserve someone's vanity," she said, returning his smile with smug satisfaction.

"What a funny lady you are," Valgaav chuckled.

Filia was growing on him. He liked that she was older than he, finding out some time ago that didn't care as much for inexperienced maidens. They didn't last. Filia, though, seemed artless in the ways of love; that is to say, she didn't flirt with him. She didn't play to his ego, and yet he found her attractive and smart as a whip, one that could flay a man alive with her sharp tongue. Good thing he had a tough hide.

"So, why do ya wear that pick ribbon. Not fashion, I take it," he asked.

To his surprise, Filia blushed and tried to cover it with her cloak.

"Ah, come on. You can tell me," he urged her.

"It's very personal."

"Even better," he said grinning.

Possibly to wipe the grin off his face she told him. "It is to remind me of my husband." She could hear his brain stripping gears. It was a satisfying moment, but then she continued her explanation. "He's dead. I was informed that he was killed in a skirmish with Capriones."

Valgaav found his voice. "I can't believe that."

"Me neither, now that I've come to know the people better. I'm questioning many of the 'truths' I was taught. The elders may have their reasons to do so, but I can't condone lies."

"What do you think happened then?" he asked.

"The Red Guard, who else? The elders are afraid of Rezo I'm sure."

"Even to the point of lying about Rezo's attacks on their own people? That's crazy sounding."

"I know. Who'd believe me if I said anything?"

"Well, Milgasia knows, and _I _would," Valgaav said meaningfully. "But then I'm easily convinced by a pretty woman."

"Humph," Filia snorted. "Save it someone else." She clicked her tongue, urging her horse ahead of his.

The Cepheid Golden troops were in awe of Valgaav with his golden eyes, bristling mint-green hair, and cocky grin. His overall size and bulk wasn't impressive. His lanky, loose build gave no clue to his real strength. But they followed him because of Filia and Milgasia's belief in him, his intensity, and the mystery of his heritage. Was there a mixture of guilt for their people's role in his tribe's destruction? Possibly that, too.

"Hold up!" Filia shouted. "Damn, another rock slide and no room to go around this time."

"Allow me," Valgaav said.

He conjured a rock-smashing spell, blasting the intervening boulders into dust and clearing the road. Filia assisted with a barrier, flung up to protect the other riders behind them from the fall out. Surprisingly, she didn't point out how inconsiderate he had been not to do it himself or even make him thank her for her thoughtfulness. Instead, she let him savor the moment.

The road was clear as far as he could see. "Ready to haul ass!" he shouted back at his followers.

Seeing the shock and admiration in the men's faces, bolstered Valgaav's pride. In a spontaneous act of bravado, he leaped from his horse, bent to the ground, dipped two fingers into the red clay earth, and smeared it across both cheeks.

"War paint!" he shouted.

Everyone understood. In an act of solidarity, every man emulated him, striping their faces.

"What an exhibitionist!" Filia snorted, but flashed him an approving smile as well.

Milgasia tagging along with the rear guard, watched and smiled at Valgaav's progress. Maybe Valgaav had what it took to lead these fighters in a revolt against Rezo's forces. He hoped so; it had been his decision to trust the young man, and so far he was proud of him.

With a whoops and hollers, they rode hard, pounding the muddy road which passed the beast men's Village. Just outside Madiran, a contingent of beast men rode out to meet Valgaav and his people. Valgaav called for a halt and waited to see what they wanted.

"Dilgear!" Valgaav shouted as he recognized the wolf-like man from his and Filia's earlier encounter.

"Ah, my Caprione friends," Dilgear said in greeting. "But what's this? You lead the Golden tribe of Cepheid people as well?"

"Yes, I do." Valgaav straightened himself in the saddle and gave a brief run down of his history. "I was born of the Ancient Cepheid tribe, and taken in by Zelas of the Capriones when my family was killed. I, in fact, unite both peoples. Today, I have a little help from the mountain tribes. We aim to fight Rezo and the Red Guard before they get wiped out."

Dilgear's deep brown eyes widened with his new knowledge. He was impressed. Here was an Ancient tribe member raised by Zelas and leading...was that Milgasia following behind? A truly momentous day.

"We shall join you, if you don't mind," Dilgear said. "And, may I extend to your people our hospitality. The Capriones are welcome to take refuge in our village, should you seek it."

"That's great."

"Thank you, Dilgear. That's very considerate of you," Filia added supplying additional politeness. Valgaav would require more polish to be truly successful, she thought, but that was a quality she could provide.

Dilgear introduced Gravos, a mountain of a man, and Jillas, who looked more fox-like than human, asking the two to lead their ferocious-looking troops, joining Valgaav. While waiting for the beast men to regroup, Filia retold the story of their fight against the Red Guard to the other Cepheid people, with emphasis on the valiant role of the beast men. This seemed to satisfy everyone's curiosity, and the group moved out and down further into the valley.

The rain was lighter in the valley, more of a heavy mist, since the main storm hadn't hit the Capriones' land in earnest. This was fortunate for the poor people who had fled the settlement with no shelter or protection. Leading the first group was a taller than average man with wavy, long, brown hair and wearing a pointed pilgrim's hat, which distinguished him from his brethren. Filia recognized the girl sharing his horse with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, as one who had occasionally flaunted her charms around Xelloss. She was a nuisance for Xelloss, not a distraction, though. What interested Filia now about the girl was her rare hair color– it matched Valgaav's exactly, and yet he hadn't mentioned if she was a relation of his or not.

"Val, who's that girl with the green hair?"

"Her name's Martina, why?"

"It never occurred to me that her hair is the same color as yours. Could she possibly be from the ancient tribe, too?"

"Doubt it. She's Xelloss' cousin, mother's side. Ah, 'cuse me. I gotta talk to this guy." Valgaav hailed the man in the odd hat. "Yo! Zangalus!"

Valgaav listened as Zangalus repeated Xelloss' instructions. Val agreed and directed Zangalus to accompany the Capriones with some of the beast men back to Madiran. Milgasia used the opportunity to part ways. He had his own agenda, which he was mulling over in his mind as he rode by the escapees from the camp. Milgasia pealed off and took to a side route; the same one Xelloss had taken with Zelgadiss earlier. He would leave Valgaav to deal with the Red Guard, while he searched for serious casualties.

Nearing the camp center, he heard a short volley of exploding spells, strong ones, followed by the shattering of caravan windows from the concussive force. Smoke rose over the tree tops from small fires. There were bound to be many injuries resulting from the use of such powerful magic near an inhabited area. He found a relatively safe place to leave his horse, then crept furtively between the caravans, searching. He encountered a few stragglers whom he treated for cuts and contusions. Most were in varying stages of shock, but one elderly woman told him that the queen had been injured.

"Leave me..."

"Where can I find her?" Milgasia asked.

He was given brief directions and urged to hurry. Milgasia made the woman as comfortable as possible, thanked her, then rushed as quickly as he dared, avoiding Red Guardsmen. He nearly past the tumbled heap of damp, dirtied cloth, but the shimmer of golden hair and the sparkle of gold bangles caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks and knelt close, lifting a few pale blonde strands from the face.

"Zelas!" he said, gasping at the bloodless lips and still features.

He cradled her head as he directed healing magic in and throughout her.

Xelloss suddenly appeared beside him. He was surprised to see Milgasia's eyes brimming with tears. His mother was dead, even he could see that. "It's no use, is it?"

Milgasia nodded and shut down the magic. "I must try."

Their eyes met and it was if time stopped for them as vast distances of time were crossed and memories were shared. Xelloss looked down at her face with the sunken eyes and bruised cheeks.

"No, you don't owe us anything any more. Don't..."

"But she was once my wife," Milgasia said.

"She ran away with leader of the Capriones nearly thirty years ago," Xelloss said gently. He kept his body turned to he could keep Rezo and Zelgadiss in sight, but his attention was glued to Milgasia.

"I didn't know she was with child," Milgasia continued. "Not until she came back one day. She was hysterical. She had ridden without stopping, bringing me our infant son. I set eyes on him for the first time that day and he was dead. He had fallen in an accident."

Xelloss gripped the man by the arm, "Don't do this."

"I could not let him die. I resurrected him and she took him away, but not without promising to place him with a Cepheid family, one I couldn't find."

"What?" Xelloss said, choking. "That's not right. She told me that you saved _me_!"

"No, it wasn't you."

Milgasia's voice tightened. He cleared it and swallowed to clear it before going on. Xelloss didn't try to stop him. It seemed this was information he no longer could keep to himself. But it was difficult for this private man to open raw wounds to another man he did not consider to be a friend.

"It took time, but I did find him. It wasn't that difficult to trace a green-haired child to the seaside colony of the Ancient tribe. And for a time, it was enough to know he was safe, well-cared for as the adopted son to the ruling family, one without a son and heir. Zelas must have paid them a princely sum to arrange that," he added with a fleeting smile. "Valgaav, they named him."

"V-valgaav?" Xelloss stammered, not ready to accept this story. "But Val said the royal family had children," Xelloss said. "He wasn't the only one."

"Later, yes, but at the time he was their first and only."

"And when they were attacked? You knew about that?" Xelloss asked.

"Our tribe was one of several ordered to attack, but we refused. When I learned of the pending attack on the Ancient house, I warned Zelas. I couldn't enter the palace to save our son, but I could ask her to. Our royalty lost their lives for that, and we fled to the mountains."

"Do not resurrect Zelas, Milgasia." Xelloss stopped his movement. "Now your bond of indebtedness is over. She gave her life protecting what was hers. Leave her be."

At that moment, comprehension washed over Milgasia. Xelloss' position and relationship with his mother must have been difficult and even suffocating. It was Xelloss' turn. With his mother's death, he was released from her bonds, her commands, her rules. He was the leader of Capriones now, and could alter the lives of his people.

"Our alliance?" Milgasia asked.

"Valgaav is my brother and your son. I'd say we have an alliance born of blood as well as need. Sh... Someone's coming," Xelloss whipped his head up abruptly.

Amelia and Sylphiel joined them, collapsing at Xelloss feet. "Oh, no. Zelas your mother..." Amelia's voice trailed off as she looked upon death.

"She has died serving her people," Xelloss said softly. "Princess Amelia, this is Milgasia of the Cepheid tribe. And this is Miss Sylphiel, who is soon to marry my brother."

"The two healers who started Zelgadiss' cure," Milgasia said. "Very difficult and complicated. Risky."

Amelia looked at him with alarm.

"Milgasia saved him, Amelia. I just came from his side. He and Rezo are... having a political debate right over there."

Xelloss pointed out the direction to look.

"Oh!" she cried out. Joyfully she clasped Milgasia's hand. "Oh, thank you. I'm so grateful for what you did for him." She looked at the quiet, shy man with shining eyes and grinned. "Thanks for coming. You brought us help, sir?" Amelia asked Milgasia.

"You are welcome. Yes, I came with forces, but it wasn't my idea and I'm not leading them."

"I know," she said with a smile. "I'm Princess Amelia of Seyruun. I know all about Filia and Valgaav's purpose in visiting you, Mr. Milgasia. I still want to thank you formally."

Both she and Sylphiel turned as Xelloss moved. "Xelloss?"

"Zelas dead and will remain so," he repeated, his eyes never leaving Milgasia's as he rose to his feet. "It's time to focus on keeping the living alive. I hear Lina and Gourry! They must be fighting their way past the outlying guards. Now is time for the last stand. Are you all with me?"

He took off without waiting to hear their answers; confident that they would support him. He made a short detour to his tent and was relieved to find it still intact. He reached inside the doorway and snatched his staff before slipping away, unseen. When he rejoined Zelgadiss and Rezo, the tone of their argument was sharper and more impassioned and telling.

"You are so stupid and ignorant!" Rezo screamed. "What you are condoning is anarchy, a return to chaos. No laws, magic users running uncontrolled in the streets destroying property!"

Xelloss wondered how far did Rezo's plan go? How deep did the plans go? Staring at his steady gaze, his squared shoulders, and ramrod back, Xelloss could believe they might well be deep enough to include the murder of his own son and wife in order to have access to the grandson. A child weak and innocent enough to bend to his will, force him to serve as a tool. He hadn't intended to create out of Zelgadiss the hero the people needed– the rightful heir, striking in appearance, passionate, articulate and intelligent, returned to lead his people in their hour of greatest peril.

"No! We don't want chaos. Anarchy isn't about chaos. Or violence." He leaned forward, his eyes burning. "Anarchy is about getting rid of tyranny so all men are free and can better themselves. Let us all be equal and free."

"If you want an equal gift, then you must be prepared to pay an equal price. And I don't think all men are prepared. Some are lazy, and some are greedy. If there are no laws, and no one to enforce them, then who will protect the weak?"

"Without oppression, we wouldn't need to protect the weak. No one would harm them."

"You are fool, Zelgadiss. It seems that there is nothing you can tell me that can be of the least relevance, and you are unable to listen to reason."

"I represent the future. Freedom for everyone from oppression. No longer will Cardinal Rezo and his anti-magic ministry run the enlightened kingdoms. Magic guilds open, magic users free to exercise their natural abilities without fear, leaders protecting the people from unjust use of force. They will flourish under my leadership, and they will love me. Not you."

Suddenly Xelloss caught a different and startling glimpse of Rezo as a man aching to make a mark in history, to leave behind him something uniquely his. He had inherited his position, but left no living children to whom to bequeath, only a grandson, who hated him. When he died, it would be as if he had not existed. Xelloss looked at his face, and saw in it a bone-deep and naked hunger. Then it passed and the arrogance of a man assured of his future reemerged.

"Indeed," Rezo intoned, "we are in times more dangerous than I believe most people understand. The tide of chaos once rising is now turned back. Order will return!"

"Whose order, yours? Who made you god?"

"One doesn't make a god, stupid boy. A god just...is."

"Without the Philosopher's stone, you're not omnipotent. Isn't god supposed to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent?"

"What did you say?" Rezo asked, his voice raspy with emotion and his attention riveted entirely on Zelgadiss. "You... It is you who has the stone!"

The sound of Lina's castings as she and Gourry fought to enter the settlement distracted Xelloss. He strained to catch a glimpse of her. Xelloss was about to run off, but Zelgadiss grabbed him as he passed, whispering, "Don't show Rezo your weak point. Lina can do this. Let Gourry bring her here to us."

Xelloss delayed his action. Zel's warning held a modicum of sense. Through the mist and dust from explosions, he could just barely discern Lina and Gourry forcing a path through the Red Guard with the might of the hefty horse, the Sword of Light, and a well-placed fireball or two.

"Get the hell out of my way, you followers of the monster from hell!" Lina shouted.

Rezo turned from Zelgadiss a fraction of a second, searching for the girl to match the voice.

"Ah, not a word-mincer, our Lina Inverse."

"No," Zelgadiss muttered through clenched teeth, the spun around at the sound of a gasp behind and to the side.

It was Amelia, and with her he spied Sylphiel and Milgasia. From her wide-eyed look, he could tell his princess was pleased with his new appearance and thrilled to discover he was alive and well. He was happy to see her, too, and cast her one of his rare smiles.

Rezo was addressing him again. "The stone. It is mine, you know. I came here looking for you and that stone. You will give it to me immediately."

"Sorry to disappoint you, grandfather, but I haven't got your toy." Zelgadiss flashed a quick, wry smile. "If I had it, I would have used it, and we might never have had this pleasant conversation."

"Insolent child," Rezo snapped back. "Where is it? You must know!"

There was a sudden flare of light and Lina blasted an opening clear through his army. Gourry pushed the horse to overcome its fear and ride on through the smoke and dust. Rezo's appreciated strength when he observed it; Lina and her magic abilities rose in his estimation. Zelgadiss had hesitated too long in answering Rezo; the man drew his own conclusions as to who might harbor his cherished possession.

**End Capriones Chapter Twenty-Nine.**


	30. The Philosopher’s Stone

**_Capriones 8/21/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirty -- The Philosopher's Stone**

Zelgadiss glanced with alarm at Lina, unintentionally tipping off Rezo to suspect that it was she who had the Philosopher's Stone. It wasn't, however, enough to convince the cardinal absolutely; that hint came from Xelloss.

Xelloss' heart swelled with joy. Lina was safe! His next decision would be a life-defining one. If he wanted to be a part of life, and not just a watcher, he would have to let himself love her fully. He would not allow her to sacrifice herself, as Zelas had expected, and let her take on Rezo alone. He needed to draw enough power to charge his attacks. He had already begun, causing the red orb atop his staff to glow dully, but it would take more time. Could he let Lina risk herself, giving him that time, or attack Rezo himself and risk failure? His nature had already made the choice, but if he pulled back now, then he would lose his chance at happiness and fulfillment.

As Lina jumped from the horse to the ground, Xelloss set out in her direction. His naked yearning to be at her side was misinterpreted by Rezo as a craving, such as his, for the magic amulet. It was Lina Inverse who carried the Philosopher's Stone and Rezo had to possess that stone!

Rezo shouted a simple command, clearing men obstructing his path to Lina, while at the same time secretly casting a spell to ensnare her. Like a serpent, the spell slithered along the ground unseen, then spun up her legs, over her torso and up to her chin, encircling her and drawing tight, before she could launch a counter attack.

"Don't anyone move!" Rezo shouted. "Or the bands will tighten, and they are razor sharp!"

Xelloss halted less than a caravan's length from her, his staff gripped with white-knuckled intensity. Rezo dismissed Xelloss, perhaps prematurely. Rezo didn't believe Xelloss would be a problem for him, since he had destroyed his mother and everyone knew Zelas was the strongest magician of the Capriones.

Rezo stalked around Lina looking her over, his shoulders straight, his chin held high. Rezo gave Lina the respect she merited. She was a powerful sorceress, but she should realize that he was soon to be all-powerful and that she would lose any battle with him. She should be begging for her life! Instead, though, there was no fear in her eyes, only anger. Had she the stone and not the knowledge to use it? Could she break the binding spell with her hands tied, so to speak, he wondered?

Lina was splitting mad, unable to move her arms and barely able to breathe. So, she observed. There was Rezo, the smug bastard. There behind him were her friends and comrades, except for Filia. She hoped Filia was okay. Xelloss, she noticed with a blink to clear a trickle of sweat, was drawing power through his staff readying himself for a massive attack. She had never actually seen him demonstrate the strength of his abilities, but she imagined he could fire off a pretty good wallop, enough to break the spell holding her, should he need to. He just needed more time, so she set about holding Rezo in conversation, putting off any attack until Xelloss gave her some kind of sign.

"Okay, buster," she managed to say. "So, what do you want?"

Rezo moved closer to examine her better. The stone was not in view, nor could he feel its magic. "Well, I certainly want an outlaw like you dead, but first I thought I'd give you the opportunity of redemption."

"Redemption? Like saving my soul or something? No, thanks. I'm fine the way I am and I have done nothing to offend the gods that needs apologizing for, and in particular I don't need the likes of you acting as an interpreter."

"You think so? I see. Talking to the gods now, are we?"

"Well, I do, in my own way. I can't actually say who it is you talk to these days. Yourself maybe?"

"Hold your tongue, you smart-mouthed little girl! I thought you might consider the welfare of your friends or these people as worth something in trade."

"I might, though my hands are what's tied up here, leaving me just about enough space to hold my breath. What do you think I have that you want?"

"I demand the Philosopher's stone." Rezo noticed her eyes widen briefly in surprise.

"No can do," she said.

The words just escaped Lina's lips, when Rezo tightened the coils on his spell. Blood oozed along her arms where the enchanted wires sliced through her clothing, stinging so violently that Lina had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. She wouldn't give the sadist the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"_We _shall have it, now!"

"Oh, for the love of..." Lina forced out between her teeth. "More of those plural personalities! Ahhh...!"

Rezo smiled as his torture of Lina commenced.

"Stop it now!" Xelloss shouted. "She hasn't got the Philosopher's stone!"

"Xelloss!" Lina cried out.

Xelloss rested his gaze on her, smiling. "I have it."

Shaking her head to the point of drawing blood, Lina shouted, "No! Don't! Don't give it up!"

"He will, if he wishes to spare the lives of the innocent," Rezo's lips turned up into a sneer. "More than you do, apparently."

Xelloss pulled a dark lump from a pocket and held it up. The black stone shone like glass in the sun a moment, and then he tossed it carelessly to Rezo.

"Here!"

"What!" Zelgadiss roared, running to his side. "What are you doing!"

The others wondered at the significance of the act which consumed the attention of the Rezo, Xelloss, Zelgadiss, and Lina. Rezo's obvious delight in possessing the object signified that it was valuable. So, what did it mean if Xelloss gave it away without first securing Lina's freedom, or anybody else's? Lina and Zelgadiss looked appalled, stricken by what Xelloss had done. Amelia whispered her opinion to the others.

"I think Mr. Xelloss is too clever to throw away something precious, and he'd never betray the Capriones."

"Or Lina," added Sylphiel.

Gourry had managed to work his way over to where Zelgadiss and Xelloss stood.

"The red ball on your staff is starting to glow," he said to Xelloss.

Gourry was about to say more, but Xelloss held up one finger, saying "Watch this."

Rezo was shouting about his supplemented power and how he would go down in history as the greatest sorcerer of all time.

"First I shall rid this world of you, Lina Inverse!" Rezo bellowed as he attempted to activate the stone.

However, even as he attempted to cast a new, terrible spell, his previous one holding Lina relaxed just enough that Xelloss deactivated it. The spell uncoiled, emitting a hissing sound, and released Lina's limbs.

"What!" Rezo cried out, uncertain at first why the stone was not working properly.

Xelloss asked innocently, "Is it not what you expected?"

"NO! It's not the real thing. What have you done with the real stone, you master of treachery?"

Xelloss thought of a dozen things to say. He looked sideways at Lina's face. At first he was not sure if could see fear in it or not. It occurred to him that perhaps she desired this. The rush of blood, the excitement, the danger might be intoxicants to her– they were to him! Xelloss held up a matching stone dangling from a silver chain.

"Naturally, I wouldn't risk losing a priceless magical tool. I had a phony made, as I did with Amelia's bride price. My apologies to your father, princess, but I couldn't part with a necklace as valuable as that, even as a dowry for you."

He winked back at Amelia as her hand automatically flew up to her neck, touching the necklace she still wore. "Although, the one I sent Prince Philionel is quite fine, it is nowhere as valuable as the one you are wearing. Similarly, I had ornithon amulet copies made to trade for our freedom. So, Cardinal, you can see that we Capriones are very crafty, and skilled."

Xelloss tossed the stone strung upon a chain to Lina. She snatched it out of the air before Rezo could, and immediately finished off her incantation. Although Lina had no idea how to use the stone, she knew Xelloss wouldn't give it to her if he didn't think she could!

"Ragna Blade!" she yelled as a light-absorbing, blade-like weapon sprang crackling from her hands.

It continued to grow to enormous proportions, pulsating with black, magical energy amplified by her own amulets. Lina and Rezo were the center of attention with hatred, rage, and a will to do violence fueling them both.

"Rezo!" she shouted above the rising roar of her enchanted sword. "There are some people, like you, to whom any sort of celebrity would be better than none, that to be ignored would be considered a type of death. And I think that just terrifies you. Anonymity creates an engulfing darkness that eventually annihilates your psyche. Anything is better, even loathing, isn't it? It's a kind of madness from which here is only one cure, as I see it– death."

Xelloss jumped as Lina's Ragna Blade spell screeched, sliding across Rezo's gigantic enchanted shield, sending sparks flying into the air. Rezo hunched over, bent nearly to the ground in order to block her attack. Xelloss couldn't tell if Lina could control the awful spell long enough to drain Rezo of his power. If not, then she would be in serious danger and too weak to fend off a counter attack. Sweat dripped from her face; her arms trembled. He didn't think she could hold out much longer. Rezo was weakening, too. It was close. Xelloss hastened his preparations to finish the battle.

"You'll need barriers– the strongest shielding spells you can summon," Xelloss shouted to Zelgadiss and the Amelia. Zelgadiss pulled Gourry back behind him as his hands began to glow with building power. Sylphiel and Milgasia nodded understanding they were needed too, and began their own incantations.

As Lina tried one last swing at decapitating Rezo with the enchanted blade, Xelloss finally tapped into the power of the Philosopher's stone, the real one, which he had kept. Energy flooded his senses. It was all he could do to focus his mind on his purpose, directing the flow of energy outward into his staff.

"Goodbye, Cardinal," Xelloss said, then pointed his staff at the cardinal's mid-section and let loose the spell.

(O)

"I think the boss likes that blonde warrior-woman," Gravos said, jerking his head out of the way of the Red Guardsman's sword.

"Who wouldn't?" squeaked his smaller companion, the fox-like Jillas. "She's a real bomb-shell. Yip!"

Gravos smashed the guardsman to a pulp, saving his little friend from being skewered, while snarling a warning, "Yep, now you keep yer eyes open and don't let nothing harm them."

Valgaav looked at Filia, still fighting and looking exhausted and filthy. No doubt her body ached just as much as his, her skin stung, her head felt pummeled and her lungs were tight and sore every time she took a breath, and yet she battled on showing no weakness or loss of intensity. And then suddenly she was looking at him, her eyes bright and sharp, seeing every flicker that crossed his face. He felt the heat in his cheeks and knew he was coloring. Whether anyone had noticed his awkward courtship of her, or not, wasn't likely, but now anyone with a single operating eyeball could see how intense was the mutual caring.

"Your makeup is smudged," she said, laughing.

Valgaav touched a finger to his facial stripes, his eyes never leaving hers. He closed the distance between them, and reached out to press her to him. He was amazed at how slight she was hidden by the multiple layers of heavy clothing she wore. Her laughing turned to weeping and she clung to him so hard it bruised his skin, and he was happy just to feel the strength of her. He closed his own arms around her and held on to her while he lost all sense of time and it really did not matter anymore.

She looked up at him a moment longer, weighing what he thought, what he felt, then she was satisfied. Her eyes filled with warmth and, smiling, she moved her arms around his neck, pulling his face lower, and kissed his lips. Relief washed over him in a warm, sweet tide. He had never been more grateful for anything in his life. He responded to her with his whole heart.

But only for an instant. A light filled the sky flickering first white-hot then void-black, stunning everyone and halting the fighting. There was no sound for an instant, and then came a sucking sound, as if the earth had taken a sudden gasp of air, followed by a hollow roar from the bowels of the planet.

"Get down! All of you!" Valgaav shouted, as he yanked Filia's arm, pulling her to the ground. "Get under a wagon!"

Even covering their ears with their hands, the noise was overwhelming. The ground shook in wave after wave of magical energy forced the floor of the valley to move. Somehow Valgaav dragged both himself and Filia beneath a caravan, hoping the axle wouldn't break and crack open their skulls, but then the fallout began peppering them with dirt and debris.

"What...?" Filia tried to ask, her words lost in the uproar around them. "Dragon Slave?"

"Yeah, plus something else and a whole hell of a lot of protective shielding set up or we'd be one with a crater right now."

As the rock-pelting let up, Valgaav and his people emerged from the wreckage. A head count revealed that all the Cepheid followers had survived with amazingly few injuries and those minor. Many of the Red Guard had been unwilling to act on Valgaav's warning, taking the full force of the fallout to their heads, and died pummeled to death. The others, dazed and in shock, stumbled into view and were quickly dispatched by the Cepheid warriors

Both Valgaav and Filia starting running on foot, knowing that the other wanted the same thing- which was to find their friends.

"Get off of me, you lug!" shrieked Jillas, pushing and kicking at the larger beast man who had sheltered him with his own body.

Gravos groaned and rolled over, bleeding.

Gravos? Hey! One of you healer people! Help me over here! Man down!" Jillas cried out.

A lean, blond man scooted to his side and imediately began applying healing magic to the prone man.

"Is he going to be okay? He's gonna make it, right?" Jillas asked repeatedly, his eyes tearing up.

"Yes," the Cepheid man whispered. "He's a strong man, your friend here."

"Thanks..." Jillas let out his breath as Gravos sat up, shaking his head. Jillas smiled as he panted.

"Come on, you big lug. You've had yer rest. Get up then. We gotta take care of the boss man!"

(o)

"Dear gods preserve us all!" Rodimus shouted, uncharacteristically religious.

"What was that? Surely Rezo hasn't recovered the stone!" Zolf said, his voice a hoarse whisper in his comrade's ear.

"Ride on!" Rodimus roared to the men behind them. His hand was rock-steady as he knew he was leading them to their deaths. Still, it would be a grand death.

(o)

Nearly blinded by the brilliant strobe of light, King Philionel of Seyruun ordered his troops to a halt. He braved the possible dangers to ride ahead to the top of the rise. There he could look down upon the retinue of Red Guardsmen between where he sat and the smoldering wreckage that he took to be the Caprione settlement. A wave of sadness brought tears to his eyes. He had arrived too late. Rezo had exterminated the Capriones. Then the wind picked up, clearing the smoke and revealing a cluster of living human beings, and Lina Inverse was among them!

"Take courage in the belief that Justice Prevails!" Phil bellowed over his shoulder. "We come to save our fellow countrymen from the devil himself! Charge!"

With a thunder of hooves and roar of enthusiasm, King Philionel del Seyruun and his palace guard swooped down upon the last regiments of the Red Guard, penetrating their defenses.

"What's wrong with Xelloss?" Lina cried out, pushing off the ground on one elbow.

Sylphiel had rushed to her side the moment Rezo collapsed. The cardinal was scorched and unquestionably dead, Lina, however was alive, but hurt and needed care.

"Shhh, Valgaav's arrived with Filia," Sylphiel told her while applying healing magic to Lina's torso. "They are all talking to him now."

"But what's the problem?"

"I don't know, but the Philosopher's stone has something to do with it. Like he can't let go of it."

"I have to go to him," Lina insisted. "Let me go!"

"As soon as I have healed your injuries. Now, sit still!"

Milgasia, Valgaav, and Filia were with Gourry, attempting to reason with Xelloss. Zelgadiss and Amelia were lost in a long-awaited embrace.

"Just take the damn thing off, Xelloss," Valgaav said. "Or hand it to me."

Xelloss turned his glowing red eyes toward his brother. He was floating several feet off the ground, and his body shimmered with an energy field. "I can touch the world, all at once."

"You're touched, all right. That stone's giving you delusions, dude. Just take it off and drop it on the ground."

"It must be destroyed!" Amelia announced and she and Zelgadiss closed in. "Can't you see it is evil?

"No!" Xelloss shouted. "What a waste of an invaluable tool!"

Zelgadiss agreed, "Okay, then it needs a keeper who's incorruptible."

"But who?"

Lina could tell by the look in Xelloss' eyes that he wouldn't willingly give it up to anyone. She had to think fast and come up with a winning argument.

"Ah, listen up guys. Xelloss is no fool. He knows a good thing when he sees it. He knows value. How do we value things?"

"By how much it costs, but..." offered Amelia.

"Right!" Lina parted from Sylphiel and burst past Amelia. "Money fixes the worth of something. Xelloss returned your father's gold, sending the chest back with that necklace of paste gemstones and wooden nickels, but kept the family heirloom, and you."

"Yes, but I still have the real necklace!" Amelia said.

"Sure. You were either going to end up being his wife, and he'd be getting it back, or you'd be Zel's bride and Zel would pay it back to Xelloss to gain you."

Amelia looked to Zelgadiss, who shrugged and said, "We haven't exactly had the opportunity, but if he asked me for it, I would."

"Sure, just look at these," Lina said holding out her arms to show off the amulets there. "Xelloss knew he could buy my loyalty and will power--voluntarily, I might add-- as his magic student with these."

"Miss Lina! You can't tell me you believe... It's not always about money!" Amelia drew a deep breath and stood her ground. "Valgaav gained his freedom, his return to a position of royalty wholly in his power. No money changed hands there. Xelloss likes you, too. You don't believe that everything's all just a cash transaction between you!"

"No, I don't. And you don't know all the details with Val, not that I do. Anyway, don't get me off track here My point is that now Xelloss' got something of supreme value that could make him a god– what incentive has he got to give it up? What's it worth?"

The storm grew in ferocity converging over Xelloss as he continued to attract and absorb all of nature's energy into his body. Lina bravely stepped closer to Xelloss. She could feel the power pulsating from his body. His eyes, no longer red, were toneless and indistinct; his hair was floating off his shoulders. As she raised a finger to touch him, she shuddered at the crackle of electricity. Lina had Xelloss' attention now. It was her turn to gamble, and there was no going back.

"So, what's it worth to you, Xelloss?"

"Make me an offer," Xelloss intoned in an inhuman voice.

"I can return the amulets, but I know that's not enough without asking. Here, I can empty my pocket of all my treasures and coins, everything I've got. Doesn't come close to that stone, huh? Guess there's nothing I've got you want. Or is there?"

**End Capriones, Chapter Thirty.**


	31. Lina’s Proposal

**_Capriones 8/21/2006_**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirty-One** **– Lina's Proposal**

"Eh, don't bother turning down my first offers. I want you listen to this next one. It's going to be my best and last. Got that?" Lina said.

Lina paraded around him, drenched and nearly overwhelmed by the power emanating from Xelloss. He was saturated with it. His intelligence and the violence held in check only by the force of his will and, she hoped, his admiration for her. She was alternating between heat and chills, her palms damp. In a way she wished she were in his place, all powerful, but also doubted that she could have controlled the stone as well. He looked unworldly-attractive and untamable, a challenge for her to accept and beat. She smiled widely, hoping he would like it, and was rewarded with an answering gleam in his eyes.

Xelloss nodded slowly.

"Okay, but first, if you accept, it's a done deal and if you say no, well, there's no second chances."

Lina stood still and waited for him to nod again.

"Okay, so here it is, the best offer I can make. Me. You can have me, heart and soul. I mean, I'm a pretty special catch, ya gotta admit that. Unique, I'd go as far to say. Yeah, I'm a one-of-a-kind girl. The most outstanding girl you'll ever get, am I right?"

"You offer me your heart?" Xelloss asked, his eyes narrow slits, glowing white hot.

"That's what I said. I could love you, well not you, but that other guy that nice prince of the Capriones guy, not this aspiring-god-almighty guy, if you get my meaning."

"You love me?" his flat-toned voice asked her.

"Yeah, I didn't I just say that? Problem with your super-duper hearing? Geez, you never had problem in that department before."

Xelloss eyes opened further, returning to a more natural violet color, more humanlike, although he was still floating several feet off the ground.

"You promise me your soul?"

"More or less. I mean, I'm not saying I'm letting you just kill me, but I'd remain with you until I die naturally. Like... together forever, through thick and thin. That kind of thing."

"You love me and would be mine forever, then. You are proposing marriage?"

"Got that right. That's my offer. You just have to give up the power of that Philosopher's stone to claim your prize. What do you say?"

Xelloss' expressionless face worried everyone. How does a man step down from God-hood? The tension drew taut like a clothesline with everyone pinned to Xelloss' next move, his next words.

"I'd like to choose the keeper of the stone," he said at last.

"That depends," Lina said firmly. She was relieved that he didn't think it would have to be destroyed. "We gotta both agree. Who do you have in mind?"

"Gourry," Xelloss said without hesitation. "He isn't a natural magic user. He can't activate it and it can't corrupt him."

That came as a surprise to everyone at first, but it made sense. Lina had no better idea. The over-charged air crackled around them, the air heavy, threatening rain.

Lina flashed him a bright smile, and said, "Fine."

"Fine," Xelloss agreed in the same manner.

A calm spread across his face, returning to him his delicate, masculine beauty, and a smile touched his lips, growing upward to include his eyes.

"You know, Lina, the love of friends is different, and so much safer than that of a lover."

With a single powerful thrust, Xelloss drove the end of his staff into the ground, directing vast amounts of energy to discharge harmlessly into the earth. Overhead, the clouds rushed into rippling formations like curly-maple wood grain. High winds tore them apart, sweeping the moisture-laden storm far east, over the Desert of Desolation. There, the rain would be sucked from the clouds before the falling droplets touched the blistering sand. Capes and cloaks snapped in the wind one last time as Xelloss fluttered to the valley floor. When his feet touched the firm ground again, he pulled the magic stone from beneath his shirt and yanked the fine chain over his head, mussing his hair.

"With you there's this ... heat that burns my heart, but, luckily, it also lights the fires dispelling all darkness."

He held out the stone, arm's length.

"I feel I'm about to discover the kind of happiness that requires all the strength and commitment there is to give."

Xelloss looked over at Gourry.

"Take it, quickly." he ordered, his arm shaking slightly from the terrible hold the magical stone still had over him.

Gourry strode forward, snatched away the chain, and drew it over his own head. As he pulled his hair free, he backed away, uncertain what Xelloss might do next.

"Gourry, hide that terrible thing!" Sylphiel told him, and stuffed the pendant down the front of his tunic.

Xelloss cocked his head to the side and smiled at Lina. It was deliberate and devastatingly charming. She returned his stare with one of utter frankness, friendship warm in her eyes, and suddenly he was short of breath, his heart pounded, and he broke out in a sweat. He stepped toward her, steadying himself with his staff.

"Xelloss?" she began, but he spoke first.

"I love you Lina. I hope you meant what you said, but a promise like that, well, I wouldn't be much of a man if I held you to it. I'd rather have conquered you by virtue of my own merits."

"Oh, Xelloss!" Lina rushed to his arms, embedding her face in his chest. "You did, you nutcase. I'm yours."

"Lina, Lina...Lina," he muttered into the top of her head.

"You're shaking," she said, her own voice muffled and trembling with excitement.

He was free to love her, to want her, and his impulse was to whisk her away, far, far away from the tumult around them. But he couldn't do that, so instead, they shared an embrace. He let her squeeze the air from his lungs until he nearly toppled over, and then he re-arranged his arms, freed her grip, and lifted her off her feet. When she raised her face, he crushed his lips onto hers, never wishing to relinquish his hold again. Lina returned his passionate kiss, dropping her personal barriers, and ignoring the maelstrom around them.

Behind them in the distance, the battle had resumed. Once Philionel determined Lina Inverse had survived the explosive attack, he directed his forces to engage the Red Guard. From where Xelloss and his friends stood, they could hear the Philionel bellowing orders to his men for the assault on the Red Guard.

"Looks like the guard's not giving up," Gourry said to Zelgadiss.

"They probably believe Rezo will rise up from he dead," Zel replied wryly.

"Then it's up to us to change their mind."

"Yes. Yes, I've waited too long as it is."

"Yeah," Gourry growled, teeth gritted into a smiling grimace. "Let's do this!"

Gourry's sword sprang to life as he shouted, "Light Come Forth!"

Sylphiel chased after him chanting an attack spell, ready to apply it to her sword, as she'd been taught, and preparing to watch his back. The last few days of practice and instruction would all come into play for the young people to beat the Red Guard.

Zelgadiss drew his sword. "Amelia, are you well enough– have you recovered enough of your strength to fight again?"

"Have you?" she asked with a determination equaling his.

"Only one way to find out."

He leaned over, his eyes glittering with excitement, and kissed her firmly before he grabbed her hand, leaving Xelloss and Lina, and charged into the depths of the fighting. Zel lunged into the oncoming guardsmen, screaming "Astral vine!"

His sword ablaze with magic penetrated first man, blowing him apart and clearing a path ahead of them. He and Amelia regrouped standing back to back while both chanting the next spell. Amelia raised her sword in answer to his and together they shouted the power words setting off the spell.

"Ra Tilt!"

Dozens of Red Guardsmen were cut down where they stood, unable to move, while others twitched and fell gagging from the loss of breath as their lungs froze. The pair dashed over the fallen, heading up the steep grade to join her father.

From an outlook above the settlement and east of the road from Seyruun, Zelgadiss' two lieutenants called for a rest stop.

"Now, would ya look at that. Never seen storm clouds like those," Rodimus shouted over the howling wind.

"Not a drop of rain," Zolf said. They watched the storm race across the sky. "The air's filled with magic."

"Why, now... there! Troops flying Seyruun colors, and they're fighting the Red guard."

"Philionel, you think?"

"Zel's got Philionel fighting with him! We can win this yet!" Rodimus roared triumphantly. He may have jumped to conclusions, but they were the right conclusions.

"Men! We have Seyruun fighting the war against Rezo!"

The fighting men from Atlas City took heart and cheered for the joy of their good fortune and for the pride in having a resourceful and clever man like Zelgadiss at the helm. They rode hard down the valley en route to join arms with the leadership of the Kingdom of Seyruun, who were currently gathering in one place, at last.

"Daddy!"

"My darling Amelia!"

The father and daughter met with shouts of joy and passionate hugs. Zelgadiss remained off to the side, watching the affectionate display. He had never had the devotion of a parent before, and found pleasure in Amelia's happiness.

"And you have to meet Zelgadiss, daddy."

"Ah so this is the young man you married, eh? Wasn't your face on one of my wanted posters? Doesn't look familiar, though. Different man. Odd, wouldn't think the name was so common."

Zelgadiss opened his mouth to speak, but Amelia was faster.

"He's the leader of Atlas City now, Cardinal Rezo's grandson and heir. Now he's forced to become a rebel. You see, that other was all a misunderstanding. Rezo trying to hurt his own flesh and blood. A terrible injustice!" Amelia said, not bothering to correct his confusion of facts.

"Rebel?" Philionel turned to address Zelgadiss, conviction blazing in his eyes. "You still plan to uphold the rights of the White Shrine?"

Zelgadiss swallowed hard. "Yes, of course! Ah... separate church and state, actually, to limit the power of the cardinal over the government. That way," he said with growing confidence as Philionel's eyes lit with admiration, "there will never be another Rezo."

"Whose evil we have met with the Gentle Force of Clashing Swords!" Philionel bawled dramatically, tears flooding his eyes. "We shall unite our new leadership to remove the threat to our laws and our way of life!"

"Uh, yes," Zelgadiss agreed uncertainly.

He was too reserved begin a debate with Amelia's eccentric father, but he did share their enthusiasm. Phil wiped his eyes, then noticed Amelia's striking necklace.

"Ha, ha! You have the real necklace, I see. Ho, ho... I outsmarted that sharp little Lina Inverse. I thought her note sounded suspicious, asking me to return the one some zealot was trying to get back for his own use."

He patted the cruder version draped across his deep chest and laughed, deep and loud.

"And I'm sure you won't mind my organizing your upcoming nuptials at the palace? A formal state wedding according to the laws of Seyruun."

"Ah, no. I'd be honored," Zelgadiss murmured, not knowing how else to reply but to fall back on his childhood lessons on courtesy.

Phil examined his daughter's face a moment, and then asked, "What's happened? I can tell something's troubling you."

Zelgadiss put his hand on her arm, protectively. Her eyes were hollowed and her face shadowed with fatigue from battling inner shock and grief.

"Oh, Daddy," she sniffed. "Uncle Randy was like a man possessed. I had to kill him to stop him from leading the Red Guard on a rampage through the settlement. I didn't want to, but with all those innocent people..."

"I'm sure you had no choice," her father said, his face falling into sorrowful furrows. He tenderly patted her back, but it was Zelgadiss who enclosed her in a warm, protective embrace.

"We will win this battle today and morn our losses tomorrow. Yes, we will be victorious!" Phil exclaimed with restored vigor.

"Master Zelgadiss! Is that really you sir?"

They all turned toward the newcomers riding into the crowd and carrying the flag of Atlas City, the old one, the one before the cardinal's rise to power. Philionel's guard circled them, alert to trouble, waiting for his command. Philionel gestured for them to stand down when it was clear they were men loyal to Zelgadiss.

"Rodimus! Zolf!" Zelgadiss cried out in surprise, and joy.

"I can't believe it, but if any people could cure you, it was these Capriones," Rodimus said, slapping the younger man on the back with familiarity.

"Well, actually, it was a couple of priestesses and the leader of a Cepheid tribe..." Zelgadiss began to explain.

"We are pleased to have your help." Amelia said diplomatically.

"My wife, the... ah... Princess Amelia of Seyruun," Zelgadiss said, beginning the introductions. "These are my lieutenants from Atlas City."

They were only allowed the short break before they were required to fend off a new assault. The battle was not over.

**End Capriones, Chapter Thirty- One**


	32. Putting It to Bed

**_Capriones 8/29/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirty-Two** –** Putting It to Bed**

Milgasia shifted on his feet, attempting to ignore Xelloss and Lina locked in a passionate embrace and decide what to do next. He did not want to engage the Red Guard. He was a man of peace, fighting only when pressed to the extreme. There were sure to be countless other endeavors which better suited his nature.

"I should look for any injured to tend and collect the dead."

"You're right. We'll join you," Filia said, pulling Valgaav's attention away from the departing backs of his friends. "We should try and save as much of the Capriones' property as possible."

Valgaav was running on high spirits no amount of "duty work" could kill, so he followed along a docile as a lamb. Filia and Valgaav reunited with their forces, squirreling out the remnants of the Red Guard hiding within the encampment and locating any remaining living Capriones. Fires were squelched, loose animals rounded up and secured; the Cepheid troops assisted wherever necessary.

"What's wrong?" Filia asked him.

Valgaav studied the battlefield, hunting for his friends. His impulse was to avoid getting involved, but his growing conscience drove him to action. "I should be out there. This work's done."

Filia agreed. He had satisfied his obligations and she would encourage his good motives. "I'll join you then."

Leaving a couple men with the fallen, Valgaav directed his remaining soldiers to fall in behind. Gravos and Jillas scrambled their fighters and rushed to keep up as Valgaav and Filia streaked toward Zelgadiss and Amelia.

"Filia," Valgaav shouted, concerned, and shorted his gait abruptly. "Hold up! You lost your pink ribbon. I'll go back with you and look..."

"No, don't bother. I don't need it anymore. I need no reminders of the past, not with the future to look forward to." Filia smiled.

Valgaav warmed to that smile, responding with one of his own. He hoped Filia meant what she'd said, because it conveyed to him a special meaning: Filia was making room for him in her heart. There was no time to dream, though, with not with the enemy advancing on the camp.

Valgaav and Filia united the Cepheid warriors into a tight front line, completely blocking the Red Guard's progress into the camp. Gourry and Sylphiel drew back, joining them. The Seyruun army and Zelgadiss' Atlas City forces pressed from above, and continued to push the guard into a slow retreat toward the forest.

"This could go on for hours," Xelloss muttered.

"But it won't," Lina said, with the return of her usual air of bravado. "Time to put this battle to bed, so to speak."

"As you wish," Xelloss murmured.

As she began chanting and drawing on all her power, Xelloss prepared protection spells to protect the camp and the armies from the blast. The other magic users must have sensed the change in the air, the faint smell of ozone and the buildup of static charge, because they switched from creating attack spells to devising defensive shielding ones.

"Oh! Look there! Lina's going to do something big!" Amelia cried out.

"You're right," Zel agreed, throwing up his strongest barrier spell.

Sylphiel and Filia simultaneously conjured white magic defenses to reinforce the others.

"Dragon Slave!" Lina shouted, casting her widest-spreading, most destructive spell.

White-hot fire arced from her finger tips to race upwards, cutting a wedge through the front lines of Red Guardsmen, then blossoming into an earth shaking explosion. The forest and all within it were instantly incinerated. Ash and rock hailed down upon the survivors, testing everyone's shielding strength. Zelgadiss added a powerful wind spell to disperse some of the material away from the settlement. In a matter of minutes, the dust settled revealing a gigantic crater where a forest had stretched for miles, and no Red Guardsman.

"Dear gods above protect us!" Philionel said, awed by the suddenness of such immense destructive force. "It's over."

"We've won, and you said that you would win in the end. You were so sure," Zelgadiss said to Philionel.

"Certainly! If our cause was just then in the end we would prevail against any ignorance or self-interest," Phil replied clearly, as if the answer would have been obvious.

"It's just begun, I'd say," Rodimus grumbled. "We must take this to Atlas City. Finish the job before winter and travel is too difficult."

"Absolutely," said Zelgadiss.

"Then it seems we have plans to discuss, later," agreed Philionel.

He squinted past the dust and saw the tiny figure of Lina standing beside Xelloss and shook his head. So much power and fight in such slight people; it was difficult for him to fathom. The couple was looking his way, and so he waved, giving them an enthusiastic "thumbs up" sign before returning to duty.

"Magnificent job, my dear," Xelloss told Lina, waving to Philionel, and then draping his arm over her slender shoulders.

"Thanks, but getting me dinner would go along way to making me a happier person right now."

"Eh... I'm afraid I can't cook; however, I'll bet Sylphiel can. Why don't you see what the two of you can rummage up in the old canteen?"

Xelloss and Lina made their way over to join the friends at the edge of the camp. Milgasia stepped out to meet them, pulling Xelloss to the side.

"Is one of these your tent? Where can speak privately?"

Xelloss nodded and led him into his damaged tent.

"At least it's still useable," he said, sighing. He pushed around broken bits of crockery with his toe. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Zelas will require a proper burial. I'd like to take her to her first home," Milgasia said stiffly, feeling as if his protective mask had been stripped from him and Xelloss had seen him as nakedly as he had seen himself. "I must go."

"Milgasia, please, wait," Xelloss said. "Valgaav needs to know about his past--the truth. I think he should hear about it from you. Don't leave me with that responsibility alone."

"But... All right, Xelloss, you don't have to do this." In a few words Milgasia had betrayed an admiration of him. "He doesn't have to ever know."

"It's okay, really. I love my expanding family," Xelloss said, smiling, but also nervous. "Stay here."

Milgasia stood uncomfortably at the far end or Xelloss' "home." He found it both interesting and difficult to believe how little Xelloss personally owned. For a prince, he was a pauper.

Meanwhile, Xelloss trapped Valgaav parading around the camp and drew him into his tent. Milgasia straightened stiffly the moment Valgaav caught his eyes.

"Valgaav," Xelloss began quickly. "I could draw this out, but I won't. Meet your father. I'll let him tell you the real story of your mother and her sacrifices, but first," Xelloss grabbed him in an embrace, pulling his head close to his. "I just have to tell you I love you, brother."

"It is true..." Milgasia began.

Stunned to silence, Valgaav flopped onto a cushion and listened, awed by Milgasia's story and of what it meant. He had lost his mother, but gained a father and a brother, a real one. And wasn't there a half-sister that he met the day before? It was nearly too much to absorb all at once.

"All these years I was sure you knew," Milgasia told Xelloss. "I lived in constant fear that you would turn me in."

Val sat up. "For what?"

"Resurrecting the dead is frowned on. Dangerous. Imagine having all those old people lingering forever, being brought back to life over and over. Never get rid of them!" Xelloss said. "So it is a tightly controlled, very restricted spell. He couldn't take the chance that the elders would approve of him applying it to his son by a wife that had left him for the Capriones."

Xelloss looked up, gazing into Milgasia's eyes a moment. Seeing unease reflected in the man's eyes, Xelloss released them. "All I knew was what mother had told me, which was that you'd do anything I asked– that you were forever in her debt."

"Sounds like it shoulda been the other way around," Valgaav said, addressing Milgasia. "She owed you for risking your position to save me, and then you had to let her take me away, never knowing if you'd see me again."

"Misunderstandings abound," Milgasia said.

"I, ah, won't ever tell, if that's still worrying you," Xelloss told Milgasia. "You saved Val's life. I have a real brother I never would have had, or known about."

Xelloss made a face as he turned to Valgaav, and said, "And to think I thought you and mother were sleeping together."

Valgaav, who wore first an expression of shock, then horror, started to laugh, loudly, expending the pent up tension from the last few days.

"I'll be right back," Xelloss said, excusing himself.

Xelloss found Filia and asked her to join them. He left Val to fill her in, in his own words, and let her offer what comfort she could.

"Come on, Mil, I had a topic of interest to discuss with you," Xelloss said, leading the man away from the new couple.

"And that is?" Milgasia asked with interest.

Xelloss tossed his staff from hand to hand as they picked their way down a lane between caravans. Littered with debris and fragments of damaged structures, the path was dangerous. The camp was strangely quiet and empty of people. Xelloss had to fight the feeling of melancholy from overwhelming him.

"So, earlier, you say I wasn't linking up with the gods, drawing power from their storm and funneling it through my staff?"

"You superstitious man," Milgasia answered somberly. "You should know better than that. The clouds generate electrical charge from the collision of particles of hail, ice and super-charged water. When enough sinking negative particles clash with the positive ones, we get lightening."

"Really? You'll tell me next that Cepheid isn't striking us with thunder bolts either."

"No, sorry."

Milgasia smiled and rolled his eyes, uncertain how much Xelloss said was intended to be taken seriously.

"And all this is taught in school?"

"Yes, science. There is also history, math, reading, writing, arts, music..."

"How perfectly wonderful!" Xelloss said with a laugh. "I want that for us. I want my children to be able to read and write."

Xelloss grabbed Milgasia by the tunic and pulled him close. In a low, conspiratorial voice, he whispered, "You see I can't."

Milgasia stepped back, surprised. "You can't read or write?"

"Shhh..." Xelloss hissed. "That's right and I'm not proud of it. Now you know a secret about me."

"You are an odd duck to be sure, Xelloss of the Capriones, but you've changed my way of thinking about your people and you."

Milgasia shook his head, regretting his admission as Xelloss smiled widened into a demonic grin. "No... now what have I said...?"

"You'll help me establish my people in schools, won't you?"

And leaving Milgasia with his mouth agape, Xelloss turned on his heel and marched to the tent where food preparations for the many hungry soldiers were underway. He flung open the door flap.

"Lina! You have to hear about where lightening comes from! Kids learn this in school! The Caprione children will be so lucky!"

Meanwhile, Valgaav and Filia changed tents. He wanted to see the condition of his place and speak privately with Filia for a moment.

"You know," she said as he held open the cloth flap at the tent entry, "I was right. Martina is related to you. She's your cousin."

He groaned and fell onto the remnants of his bed, pulling her along. They lay side by side, gazing about the room. His belongings had been viciously torn apart and strewn all over the floor by a Red Guard soldier, a dead one, judging by the dark spot of drying blood alongside the door.

"We really should be out there helping, not hiding in here," Filia said. "What is it?"

"I just wanted..." he said halting to swallow. "Um... So, I did good today, right?"

"Yes, you did. You make a fine military leader. As a prince, though, you're a little rough around the edges."

"Oh yeah? Well, I think you've got what I need to smooth out those rough spots."

He made no attempt to conceal the true meaning behind his words. His lips widened into a seductive smile. Filia looked away, blushing furiously.

"Yes, I could. I may not be a proper lady, but I know how one should behave, and a gentleman, too."

"That's good, real good. How 'bout tonight we drop the proper act and just enjoy ourselves. Sleep, ya know? Just sleep. I could use your help finding places for everyone to camp out. Your tent was plundered. You can't use it. Mine's okay. Good enough. Hey, I'm not asking for anything more, just a friend to hold tonight. Whaddya say?"

Filia nodded. "Let's see what we can do for everyone else, first."

Valgaav considered that encouraging, and so he bravely leaned over and kissed her. She would either kiss back or slap him, he was certain. He was thrilled when he felt her fingers in his hair and her lips soften. She was first to break the kiss.

"We should go before we're missed."

Valgaav let out his breath. Being a leader was hard work, and required a level of self-denial he had never before achieved. One look at the soft, blue eyes of the woman in his arms, and he knew he could make the sacrifice, again.

"Sure, let's go."

Philionel's troops carried their own supplies, tents, and food, so preparations as the evening drew near were already underway. His brother, Prince Randolph was wrapped in shrouds and loaded on a wagon. Philionel and Zelgadiss solemnly watched a select contingent of the Seyruun army depart accompanying the dead prince back to Seyruun. There, Prince Randolph would rest in state and await burial in a quiet ceremony later. Messengers carried news of the battle, the death of Rezo, and the triumph of justice.

Valgaav and Filia found tents and blankets sufficient for the Cepheid troops. Sylphiel, Lina, and Amelia did their best to assemble meals for everyone, while Milgasia and Xelloss tended to Zelas' body. By nightfall everyone was exhausted. They doubled up in tents, sharing bedding and space.

The fall had surely faded into the shorter days of early winter, which meant that night arrived quickly. Xelloss stood at the opening to his tent, gazing over the dark landscape, once familiar to him as his own face and both stifling and comforting, but now the view filled him with unease. In one direction the velvet landscape was dotted with campfires marking the Seyruun army bivouac. In another, an ugly scar gaped, reflecting raw earth in the starlight, where a deep forest once stood.

"I can't sleep," Lina complained. "I'm tired, my body aches, but I'm so excited. My mind's reeling with images and thoughts."

"I was neglecting you. I'm sorry." Xelloss returned to the bed, adjusted his arm under her neck, and said, "I'll see what I can do."

His forefinger swept away her bangs with a feather touch. She sighed and closed her eyes and he leaned over, pressed his lips to her hot skin, and whispered the magic words, "Sleep..."

There would be time to think of the next steps in all their lives– in the morning.

**End Capriones, Chapter Thirty-Two**


	33. Parting Ways

**_Capriones8/29/2006 _**

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirty-Three** – **Parting Ways**

"I want you to marry us, today," Gourry said. "Me and Sylphiel."

"It is difficult to say when we'll have a better chance," Xelloss replied thoughtfully. "All right."

"I hadn't thought of that," Gourry said. "I was thinking more of her. Sylphiel would feel better about, you know, with us being married and all."

"Ah, yes," Xelloss said, coloring slightly.

He and Lina hadn't been intimate. The night before, their nerves had been shot by their magic use, and after Xelloss had administered the 'sleep' spell, Lina was out until dawn. Now, she was back at the canteen, refueling. And, to tell the truth, he felt both anxiety and nervousness when he thought about making love to her. If he faced the bitter truth, it wasn't his strong point. His only comfort was that he knew she hadn't anyone else to compare him to, and that she truly loved him.

"I should take care of that, too," Xelloss said with a slight smile. "Before Lina forgets."

"Yeah, well, she's not one to forget a promise of marriage. She loves you, man. I can see it in her eyes. She's pretty young, though and might need a little encouragement from you."

"You mean I should romance her a bit more?"

"Call it what you will, but you're gonna have to be the one making all the moves."

"Ah, yes. I think you're right. I can do that," Xelloss said, unable to meet the other man's steady gaze.

"Oh, I imagine you can," Gourry said, chuckling. "I was thinking that maybe Zel would like to tie the knot with us?"

"We could demonstrate our Caprione traditions to his father-in-law," Xelloss said grateful for the change of topic. "Okay, I'll check with the others."

As he found the interested parties and made his suggestion, Xelloss discovered that before any nuptials could begin, he must assemble everyone to hear out and discuss all their upcoming plans. They were terribly excited, bursting with ideas, and creating a chaos of his simple-ceremony plans.

Finally, Xelloss called for order and announced, "We have to settle what's going on right now. We have people waiting for us to do something, so I'll start. Lina and I will first pay a visit to our benefactors and thank the beast people for their help. After that, some of the Capriones must return here and retrieve and reclaim their belongings, repair what they can, and get re-established before the winter hits. This place...will not be suitable."

"The Capriones can stay with the beast men all winter," Valgaav said, "and until a new settlement is found for spring. Dilgear promised me that."

"That's very generous of him _to say_," Xelloss pointed out. "It's all the more important that we get there today, then, and see if they still feel the same way. That's a lot of people to assimilate for one town."

"Okay, then, Filia and I will go with you and help them."

"Valgaav, I thought you wanted to travel to the Ancient tribes' lands to see if it would be a possible place to settle in," Filia reminded him.

"Afterwards, yeah. That's what I want to do." Valgaav rubbed his hands on his pants and met Xelloss' eyes nervously. "It will be your decision where we, er, the Capriones go, but the Ancient tribe lands are south, near the ocean and on the Caprione trade route."

Lina perked up. "That's close to Zephillia, sounds to me. I could help going there, maybe."

Xelloss wilted at her suggestion, but said nothing to Lina. His attention remained on Valgaav.

"You want to travel with the Capriones, or return to the Cepheid people? Or, do you know?"

Valgaav shook his head, looking over Filia's shoulder to the vast pit from Lina's deadly castings, disfiguring the distant landscape. This had been the only home he really knew. It held both good and bad memories.

"I don't know," he admitted. "A little of each, I guess. It's something I need to figure out for myself."

Xelloss smiled and touched his brother's arm. "Okay. You can talk to me, you know? No pressure. Just remember that you'll always have a home with us."

Valgaav's face relaxed into a smile, which grew into a grin. "Yeah, bro..."

Philionel had been in quiet consultation with Amelia and Zelgadiss, and chose this time to speak up. "It is my vow to have supplies delivered, whatever you need, food, clothing, blankets. What was that, Amelia? Oh, yes, of course. And free passage throughout our kingdom. When you're ready, let's discuss citizenship for your people so you can take advantage of our schools and services."

"And taxes?" Xelloss asked.

"The march to modernity comes with a price."

"And don't forget, father," Amelia said. "I would like to use the treasure from my dowry chest to help the Capriones get re-established. We can have it delivered here or to Madiran."

"Not to mention our things. Remember? We left a bag of clothes at the palace, which I am certain Lina neglected to pick up," Filia said, and she and Amelia made plans to have their belongings delivered.

"Maybe I should go with you," Lina said, uncertainly.

Xelloss pretended not to hear her as he lifted his eyes to gaze over her shoulders. He wanted Lina to show interest in him, not everyone else's endeavors. He looked quickly over at Zelgadiss.

"Won't you need the gold from Amelia to fund your own cause?"

"No." Zelgadiss shook his head. "I don't think you really ever appreciated how wealthy a man I am– your mother certainly didn't or she might have been more interested in gaining my sympathy. I'll have plenty, once I get to Atlas City and defeat the rest of the Red Guard."

Zelgadiss continued, "We will be heading to Atlas city with Rodimus and Zolf straightaway."

"We shall bring justice to Atlas City!" Amelia cried, taking up a triumphant stance.

"With the army of Seyruun ay your back," Philionel roared with vigor. "We shall be victorious! We shall secure the city, the kingdom and the throne."

"Well, not exactly," Zelgadiss put in.

Philionel drew a deep breath. "You must secure claim to the throne."

Amelia broke in. "Oh, daddy, I explained this part already. Zelgadiss is not to be crowned king. He wants the officials to be elected, like Mr. Milgasia was."

Her father frowned and appeared about to argue, then his face cleared after having worked out a solution.

"Well, then, we have to _elect _Zel to the throne."

Lina appeared to be torn between joining in on the plans of her friends or Xelloss. Zel wasn't too involved in his own intricate schemes to see that Xelloss was aware of this by the hurt in his eyes. Zel knew he was a lucky man in comparison. Amelia's plans and his were locked together, but Xelloss was tied to the Capriones, whereas Lina was not. She was a rover and a mercenary. Would she move on with the roving Capriones, or on her own? How much was she willing to part with her old ways to remain with Xelloss? How deep were her loyalties to him? He owed it to Xelloss to find out and end his friend's misery.

Zel extricated himself from Philionel and found Lina. He pulled her off to the side.

"What is it, Zel?" she asked.

"You know, we have all the fire power we need to finish the job ahead."

"So?"

"I just want to say that Xelloss needs you more now than ever."

"I know..."

"What's the matter, Lina? Second thoughts? If you don't want to be a part of his life, now's the time to tell him. Don't put it off any longer."

"No, no! It's not like that at all, actually. I want to be with Xelloss, it's just. Well, I don't think he really, you know, wants me."

Lina, embarrassed to admit that, looked away. "There were times when he seemed so passionate, when I least wanted it, of course, but not last night or this morning. I don't know what he wants from me."

"Lina, he's thirty-five years old. The Capriones has been the focus of his life, forcing him to restrain his personal feelings. While Zelas had the freedom to sleep with just about anybody she wanted, he was forbidden to even dream about a lover, because if he did, he couldn't have obeyed her every order, been the perfect soldier, whatever it was she expected of her. He hid it from everyone, which is why Valgaav thought he must have liked boys, I guess."

"Yeah? How do you know so much?"

"When I was first 'enslaved', as you might call it, Xelloss shared his room with me-- afraid Zelas would kill me in the night, I suppose. He talks in his sleep."

"Oh, that's great," Lina said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

"Yeah, well. I learned a lot those nights. Anyway, you put the cracks in his defenses. Now that his mother is dead, the woman who ruled his life even to the point of telling him who to love, I'll bet all he needs is the slightest encouragement from you, the tiniest provocation, and the floodgates will open. You'll have more of Xelloss than you can handle."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that. I can handle a lot, of anybody." She smiled and touched Zelgadiss' hand. "Ah, thanks, Zel. I know just what to do, or would, if we had the chance to be alone."

"What if you and Xelloss stayed behind and let Valgaav and Gourry carry some of the weight for a few days?"

"Convincing Xelloss of that would be hard," Lina said.

"Give me a minute," Zel said.

Zel scampered over to Gourry first, then to Valgaav, explaining his idea.

"We'll make it our wedding gift to him," Gourry said.

Trailing behind Xelloss, the friends formed a procession. They gathered by a hedge of wild flowers, now an overgrown thicket of blackberry vines entangled with prickly rose stems. The sky had cleared, the late autumnal sun warming the chill air.

"Okay everyone. This won't take long," Xelloss called out. "Gourry, Sylphiel– you're first."

He withdrew a red satin ribbon from his pocket and waited for the couple to take their places in front of him. The couple held hands beneath a bower of wild roses, which not long ago was a romantic arch they passed under, heavy with fragrant white blossoms, but was now stripped of flowers and any remaining foliage. Xelloss took their right hands, clasped them snugly, and then wrapped the ribbon loosely into a bow at their wrists.

"I'm thrilled to be here today uniting my brother and his lovely bride in matrimony. There is no more important choice you make in life. Gourry? How do you feel towards this lovely woman?"

Gourry looked Sylphiel in the eye and smiled. He told her how he felt and promised to take care of her and cherish her always. When it was her turn, Sylphiel spoke to him in a voice so low no one could hear, but the pleasure in Gourry's shining face was apparent to everyone.

"I wish you the best life has to offer until the creator of us all calls you away," Xelloss said, and then he kissed both friends. "Now, since Sylphiel is a Whine Shrine priestess, it is only natural that our resident Cepheid priest put in a good word."

Milgasia stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, this is a rather extraordinary day, isn't it? I haven't my book of dignified litanies to read."

"Just wing it," Xelloss said.

"One doesn't 'wing' an hour-long process," Milgasia said seriously. "However, in light of the situation, Sylphiel and Gourry, I proclaim you man and wife in the name of Cepheid."

"That's what I said to you," Zelgadiss whispered to Amelia. "Remember?"

"Yes. It's what's in the heart that counts," Amelia said, nodding

She was gratified that he remembered what had been a significant moment in her life. She didn't think anyone would have guessed him to be the romantic.

Gourry and Sylphiel thanked Milgasia, and then moved to aside to make room for Zelgadiss and Amelia. Xelloss snapped a ribbon, this one gold, in the air to straighten it out.

"Next?" Xelloss said, smiling.

The procedure was repeated for the two young people of royal bloodlines, just as simply. Even Milgasia stepped up and blessed their union, since Amelia was a priestess, too.

"And it's not done yet," Amelia said, through her tears, "you all must promise to come to Seyruun mid winter for my formal wedding party."

"I've never been in a palace before," Val said. "What do we wear?"

"Oh, we have hundreds of costumes to choose from," Amelia said. "So, don't worry. We'll take care of all that. You just come and have a good time."

Valgaav didn't look too sure, so he shrugged. Filia thanked Amelia for her generosity and assured her they would be there.

"Your turn, bro," Valgaav said. "Who's going to bind him and Lina?"

Xelloss again, looked to Milgasia. "I'd be honored if you would, in place of my mother today," he said in a low voice.

Xelloss held out a pale green ribbon and waited anxiously for the man's answer. He hadn't long to wait.

"Might as well make you legal," Milgasia said, taking up the ribbon. "Come here then."

Lina snuggled close to Xelloss, clasped his hand, and impatiently stretched out their arms to the Cepheid leader. "Ready."

Milgasia fussed with tying an elaborate bow while listening to the young couple repeat declarations of love and assure one another of their commitment.

"And I promise to cherish you and give you everything I have," Xelloss said, stopping to give her a wink and flash a glance back at Gourry. "Well, almost everything, just not t_hat_."

Lina knew he meant the Philosopher's stone and flushed darkly. "I'd forgotten about that," she mumbled. "I don't want it. Much. I don't want much from you except your undivided attention and loyalty."

Xelloss grinned. "Oh, my..."

"What?" she said, wondering how he'd twisted that around in his mind to produce that expression.

"And for my promise of undying constancy, you'll give me children?" he asked, seriously, but with a glimmer in his eye she took to be lust.

"Well, sure...I guess..." Lina muttered uncomfortably. "eventually."

"And so I pronounce you man and wife," Milgasia concluded quickly with a nervous smile.

"Thanks, Mil," Lina said, unable to wrest her hand from Xelloss' even if she'd wanted to.

Everyone milled around knowing they had to leave, but wanting to postpone their departures as long as possible. In the short time close bonds of friendship had been created. Still, there were responsibilities and obligations driving them apart.

Valgaav had acquired two devoted followers, Gravos and Jillas from the beast men's village. They had announced that they would follow "the boss man" anywhere. This was satisfying to hear, but Valgaav sensed that the Cepheid troops had split loyalties.

He and Milgasia spoke to them at length, deciding that some would remain with him, accompanying him and aiding where needed, and selecting out a few men to continue on with Milgasia. While he was busy with the Cephied men, Jillas became particularly clingy toward Filia.

"You'll be with us, too, won'tcha?" Jillas asked her. "It wouldn't be the same without a beautiful woman like you around."

Filia wasn't certain how to respond. She was both flattered and uncomfortable by the young fox-man's obvious attraction to her.

"Well, I... Ah... Certainly, if I'm needed..."

Valgaav cut the tension as he snaked an arm around her waist, and said, "Sure she'll come. She knows she's what gives me class, and," he added quickly, "there's no one I'd trust more in a fight."

Filia smiled, embarrassed, but pleased. "Yes, Mr. Jillas. I plan to accompany Valgaav to Madiran and see this to the end."

The other half of the Cepheid fighters would leave immediately with Milgasia, bearing Zelas' body for burial back to her home lands. Gourry, Xelloss, and Valgaav agreed to the plan, not needing or wanting to be present as their mother was put to rest. It was only her body, Xelloss said, putting an end to the discussion. Since the trip was on the way to Atlas City, Milgasia would accompany Zelgadiss and Philionel part way. Eventually he and Valgaav would re-mobilize in the lands near Madiran, before returning to their mountaintop retreat.

At last, the party broke into separate groups heading different directions. The Atlas City entourage was first to set out. Zelgadiss and Amelia said goodbye, both tearful, but excited.

"As long as I know I'll see you all in just a short time," Amelia said. "Then I'll leave happy."

"You bet we'll be in Seyruun for your celebration. Wouldn't miss a party like that," Gourry assured them and watched as his wife and Amelia cried in an embrace.

Lina tightly hugged a surprised Zelgadiss. "I'm going to miss you. You gotta promise me an invite to Atlas City, okay?"

"Of course, Lina. In particular, I'd like you to be the first one to enter the library of magic, which has been closed for decades."

Lina's eyes flamed with interest. "I didn't know about that. Yeah, thanks."

Xelloss was unprepared to be left behind. He and Lina, he had been told, were to remain at the ruined camp, alone.

"My brothers' have been scheming behind my back?"

"It's the right thing to do, and you know it," Val said. "Stop whining about it."

"But, but, but...!" Xelloss sputtered.

"You get a couple days of honeymoon," Gourry repeated for the forth time. "Our gift to you. Don't worry. All the Caprione folks will understand why you're meeting them here and not in Madiran. It will be okay."

"Yes, but..."

"Bye!" everyone shouted, and departed with more parting words, tears, and promises.

"Now, that wasn't so hard letting your brothers carry the burden of leadership," Lina said as they watched the last of the Cepheid forces leave the camp.

Zelgadiss and the Seyruun army were barely discernable on the horizon, heading toward Atlas City.

"Yes it was," Xelloss said with a smile.

"Then I'll have to coax you into forgetting about them for a couple days."

"I'm coax-able. In fact, I have a wonderful idea. Meet me back at my tent in ten minutes, okay?"

"Ten minutes, eh? Okay."

**End Capriones, Chapter Thirty-Three.**


	34. New Beginning

_**Capriones 8/30/2006 **_

**Disclaimer:** We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

**Chapter Thirty-Four – New Beginning**

Lina waited, impatiently.

"Close your e-eyes," he chortled from outside the tent.

She could hear him huffing and puffing, dragging something heavy, and moving debris around. She could have picked up and straightened the tent while he was out, but it hadn't occurred to her. She cracked open an eye.

"Water? You're hiding water?"

He jumped up, hands on his hips, looking perturbed. "You peeked! Close them."

"Okay, but don't take much longer."

She heard the pop as a wine bottle was uncorked, and the soft gurgle as it was poured. She felt his light touch on her hand.

"You may sip this while you wait, but keep your eyes closed."

"Ummm," she purred, enjoying this treatment. "Hey, this wine is good. Where have you been hiding the good stuff all this time?"

"Under my clothes, but the wine I kept under my bed."

She could hear the humor in his voice and knew he was joking, but blushed anyway. She sniffed the air. "I smell roses."

"That's right."

Next, she felt his hands on her foot, tugging at her boot. "Need some help with that?" she asked.

"No."

He managed fine, removing her boot, repeated it on her other foot, and then peeled off her socks. She could hear a slosh and tinkling of water. Lina wriggled her toes in anticipation of what might be next.

"Kinda cold out. Oh..." she moaned with delight as warm, scented water dribbled over her foot. "What are you doing?"

"Washing my wife's feet."

"Oh."

No one had ever washed her feet before. It felt marvelous. Wife– she wasn't used to that term yet.

"How's the temperature?" he asked gently rubbing her instep.

"Water's fine," she managed to say, sinking into a state of bliss. "That's nice."

"I'm rubbing oil on your feet so they'll stay soft."

Lina fell backwards onto the bed, her foot in his hands. "Okay, no matter what I said before, I'm really, really, really yours now."

"You like this?"

"Xelloss, you have no idea how terrific that feels."

"I have a _mind-field_ of ideas," he said, his voice husky.

"Heh, heh...," she chuckled.

His hands left her feet, and she heard the rustle of a towel. She liked this treatment, but wondered how making love to this man would be like. He seemed gentle, but she hardly knew him. She nearly paniced as that realization swept over her. What had she done?

As he wiped the excess off, his eyes roved over Lina's figure, laid out on his bed, connecting with hers.

"You opened your eyes," he said, not unhappily.

"You stopped massaging my feet. I wanted to see what you were up to."

His face appeared inches from hers, his body, partially pressed against her thigh and side. "I'm up to here, now."

He smiled and then slowly, gently kissed her lips. When her body went rigid, he stopped his kissing and looked into her concerned face. "You're quiet, everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah! I guess, I'm just nervous."

He smiled and found her free hand. Intertwining his fingers with hers was a simple, but intimate gesture. He didn't want to lose their previous close connection. He needed to reassure her, and himself.

"Don't worry; we are going to be great."

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. When she sighed, he touched her hair and ran his fingers through the soft curls. He cradled her head to kiss her again gently, then harder. She broke for air and pulled away, her mouth open, and instantly Xelloss was back, running his tongue around her lips.

"Your lips are delicious," he murmured.

With his next kiss, he could feel her respond more, a hand rubbing his back, a leg resting over his.

"I think I could enjoy this," she told him.

Her words sent exquisite spine tingling chills running up and down his spine. With more of his body leaning on hers, he bent over and their lips locked in the most powerful kiss yet.

"Oh, Lina..." he moaned, his passion aroused.

Straightening, he untied his complicated sash and yanked off his tunic, exposing his chest, and then bent closer to within her reach. He left her to run her strong, little fingers through his lustrous hair, using both hands on the heavy purple fall of silk hanging down to his shoulders.

She truly wondered at her boldness as she tailed her fingers over his pallid skin, moving in circles from his shoulders to his waistband. Had it not been the most exciting exploration she had ever conducted and had his shudders and faint moans of enjoyment not been gaining in intensity, she might have lost the courage to remain. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tight.

"What did I do? I'll make it up to you - I swear," he said quickly, his voice tremulous with uncertainty.

She kissed him deeply with all the love in her heart flowing out to him. She smiled thinking how insecure he was and how much encouragement he needed. She liked having power over him.

"You already have," she murmured a moment later.

They took turns undressing one another, bathing skin as it was exposed, finding old wounds, and laughing about their anxieties. At one point, Lina sat up considering how to remove his soft pants. Xelloss lay as if crucified, his arms stretched out beside him, his eyes watching her fumble with the odd ankle ties. Getting the last one undone, she pulled the socks down and off. She felt brave enough to go for his pants, but Xelloss held on to his waistband and smiled mischievously.

"Not until you are naked, too."

"Me first, eh?" She tugged off her pants proving her bravery, and held out the washcloth, abashed.

Her body flushed with pink as his eyes roved over her body. He smiled appreciatively and his eyes dark and lust-filled. With one lightening quick move he slipped out of his pants and embraced her, clutching her petite figure limpet-like to his chest.

"You are a dream," he whispered into her ear.

"Yeah. well," she muttered into his chest. "We both are dirty, sweaty messes."

"I don't mind," he said hoarsely.

"I do."

After bathing the last of their bodies, exploring tentatively the hidden, private parts, they snuggled under the blankets to stay warm. In the comfort of their cocoon, their hands and lips mapped new territory. Xelloss noticed that the ghost of his mother was no longer looming over him ,and Lina decided that getting to know him better would take time, but would be just fine. Before the night was through they made love.

The next morning was overcast, but the chilled air woke Lina up.

"Why is it so damn cold? Don't you have any stoves to keep warm?" Lina asked.

"No we don't. We aren't usually this far north in winter. Truth is, we were blocked by the Red Guard in spring. We went as far as we could. We aren't cold-weather people at all."

"I'm not either. Okay, so maybe we make up a big hot bath," she suggested. "Do you want a bath?"

With a smirk on his face he replied, "What is it with you and baths? Is it that you want to get your hands on me?"

Lina couldn't help blushing; he had hit the nail on the head.

"I'm right, aren't I, Lina-love?"

She couldn't look at him in the eye and looked down. He pushed her back onto her back, straddling her as he looked into her face, grinning. All his previous reluctance to make love had vanished after his success the night before. Gone was that niggling fear of failure and poor performance. Lina was an eager participant, firing his excitement futher.

"I turn you on that much?"

Her face flushed more as she nodded. He sank his weight onto her and kissed her passionately, his hands holding her head so that his tongue could reach her throat. Lina pulled him tight against her, their legs intertwining as she rolled him over and returned the depth of kiss, their hands trying to touch each other while keeping their mouths engaged. She slid her hands up his chest feeling his defined abdomen and chest and then back down, smoothing the soft downy hair at his crotch. Feeling him moan in her kiss as her hands rubbed over his nipples, she curled her hands over his chest and sighed. One of his hands slid from around her back to caress one breast and attacked the dark stiff nub with his thumbs. It was her turn to groan with pleasure.

Her voice husky with desire murmured to him, "I want you!" He looked up at Lina and gently cupped her chin. He wanted her to understand. "You don't know what it means to me - to be desired so much."

He wrapped his arms around her neck and embraced her, their warm skin pressed against each other as their kiss resumed. Passion and lust and love all mixed together, drowning in sensation after glorious sensation. Their bodies taking over as their minds filled will shared joy.

Time slowed down, their passion spent. When Xelloss tried to lift his weight from her, Lina gripped him tight, not ever wanting to be freed of that burden.

"Okay, you win," he said, settling against her, his head resting by hers.

Their breathing returned to normal as her hands gently caressed his hair. Xelloss tried to get up again and once again she pulled him back. She looked up as he lifted his head and gazed down at her, his eyes roaming around her face before looking deep into her eyes. He pecked quickly at her lips and when she tried to lift her head to take all those kisses and return them in a slow sensual one, he withdrew.

"If we're not getting up," he said, wearing a bemused expression, "at least let me pull up the sheets, my back is cold."

She released him immediately, ashamed of her selfishness. Xelloss once more pecked her lips and then lifted himself on to his knees, the cool air rushing in between them, chilling against her warm skin. He reached behind himself for the sheet and blankets pulling them up over as she guided him back down on top. Settling his chest over hers, she could feel her soft breasts pressed tightly against him. Lina pulled the blankets up over their shoulders. She felt Xelloss tremble as he initiated a long, slow and very deep kiss. Their heads rocked against each other as they tried to reach deeper parts, exploring, turning slightly, inching their way to their sides, arms locked around each other and guiding their movements from one kiss to the next. Lina felt happy and peaceful in his arms, safe from the outside world knowing he'd protect her, and she would protect him, her words few for the feelings bursting from inside her.

"I love you."

"I know."

She pounded him on the arm, starting him to laugh.

"Okay, okay. I'll say it: I love you, too. There, now stop hitting!"

"That's better," she said, sighing.

Tired and contented, wrapped in the arms of the one she loved, feeling his gentle breath on her cheek, she drifted off to sleep. Eventually they moved from the tent to eat, but not much else.

The next morning, they sat opposite each other, sipping coffee, milk, and eating leftovers of the previous nights' meals. Lina looked into Xelloss' ageless face, and then reached out to touch a trail of hair he'd missed when he had pulled it back into a ponytail and was now hanging down one side. He smiled again, his eyes hardly open at all.

"What's," he paused to set down his cup, "...up?"

She returned his smile. "Nothing, I'm just looking at the man I love."

He smiled and arched his back, his arms out stretched to the limit. As he collapsed back into himself, he said, "Vacations are nice, but returning from them is going to kill me!"

"You get used to it. Notice how great this day is?"

He looked around and drew another deep breath. "Especially this morning, which you mostly slept through. It isn't as pleasant in the dark winter months but in summer when the sky is bright and the sun is just coming up it's nice to feel its warmth on your face. Everything smells fresh and the fields glisten with the morning dew. You'll have to join me for morning walks."

"Sure... Okay, but I have to tell you, I don't normally do mornings well." She quickly drained her mug and put it on the table next to his. "Xelloss... this morning and the night before that and ... all ... I want to tell you..." she began hesitantly. She studied his face as she struggled for words. "When we...I just wanted to say ..."

He reached out and gently massaged her shoulder, stopping her fight for what to say, his eyes bright and wide open.

"It's okay, love. I wanted it too," he said. "And thoroughly loved every minute." He smiled shyly and kissed her lips, following a quiet, whispered, "Thanks."

Xelloss sat back and ate a slice his apple pie, letting the brightness and warmth anchor him. "Nice of Sylphiel to bake this before they all left. What foresight!"

Lina smiled and swallowed her milk. "Yep, she's a good one to have on the road. Great cook and inventive when it comes to making do with what she has to work with."

He smiled and took another bite.

"You smile a lot, I noticed," Lina remarked. "You happy that much?"

"You know better than that, Lina," he said, setting his fork down. "I have learned to enjoy every good moment when it comes, and this is one of them."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? I'll savor it too."

The two sat, relaxed and comfortable, wrapped in their cloaks. They were seated outside the main camp the route from Madiran part of the perspective. They were expecting Valgaav, Gourry, Filia, and Sylphiel to return, leading many of the Capriones back to the settlement. Everything in the camp worth keeping would have to be collected. There would be many hours of packing to look forward to this day.

"So, what's your big dream now?"

"You mean, other than going back to bed and making love all over again?"

"Yes, you sex-starved idiot," Lina said, not without the pleasure of his sentiments.

"Well, first off, starting a family– one with lots of kids."

"Seriously."

"I was serious, but there's more to it." Xelloss thought a moment, and then said, "The old ways are over. I never went to school, but our children will. I traveled constantly and often had to hide in the forest. But I see our children buying houses and living differently, whatever they choose. They will mix with other kids and intermarry."

"But that will dilute the culture."

"Probably, but on the positive side, I think we can integrate and participate in the mainstream of Seyruun culture without compromising our identity."

"Possibly," she said with a shrug. "Say, I meant to tell you... I'm sorry about wasting your nice forest, and all."

"I'm glad you are," he said.

Lina was about to chastise him for not being more accepting of her apology, expecting elation at least for her grand act of contrition, when she noticed movement in the distance. "Look! Here they come. Time to get back to work."

"Yes, the honeymoon is over, I guess," he said, sighing.

"Don't you believe it!" she said, laughing as she hopped off her box seat and embraced her husband.

**End Capriones, Chapter Thirty-Four, End Capriones– Final**

**Next... Capriones and the Return of Rezo!**

**... if you are interested in discovering the true identity of Copy Rezo...**


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